Alright, it was a very good save but let’s not get carried – oh, too late for that.
Simon Mignolet and David De Gea. Two names that naturally go side by side with one another, there’s just no getting away from it.
One is a player of the year. The other? Actually, both are players of the year.
Simon Mignolet has won the Liverpool player of the season. #LFC pic.twitter.com/hgOzsS4uN0
— Fields of Anfield Road 🇵🇸 (@FOAnfieldRoad) May 11, 2015
The Liverpool goalkeeper was earning all sorts of plaudits on Thursday night after his display in Villarreal. It’s becoming like clockwork for him now. Drop a clanger on Saturday, get written off by fans. Produce magic five days later, get compared to the best goalkeeper on the planet.
David De Gea, at present, is above all of his peers.
The Spaniard might still be in the Manuel Neuer shadow, depending on what angle you look at it, but the world shouldn’t be afraid to embrace the Manchester United stopper as the best in the game right now.
His brain, his athleticism, his Matrix-like reflexes in the last line of defence have raised the bar for goalkeepers everywhere, almost in Messi and Ronaldo proportions when they started to make a laughing stock of the goal every two games ratio.
Now, when you see a ‘keeper concede, you think to yourself instantly, would David De Gea have saved that? The answer is usually yes.
When you see a ‘keeper not moving as quickly or as strongly as you’d like, you think to yourself instantly how De Gea might be springing across that line.
And, apparently, when you see Simon Mignolet deliver the goods, you think to yourself instantly, that’s David De Gea in disguise.
Is that Mignolet or David de Gea?!?
— lew (@lewisw1999_) April 28, 2016
There was late heartbreak for Jurgen Klopp’s side in Villarreal when they leaked a goal in injury time to take a 1-0 Europa League semi-final deficit back to Anfield with them.
It could’ve been worse though if it wasn’t for David De Gea Simon Mignolet.
Late in the game, Kolo Toure and Dejan Lovren parted like the red sea to allow Cédric Bakambu to stroll right through the middle of the ‘Pool defence, pull up a chair, sip on a cup of tea, and take a clear shot at Mignolet’s goals.
The Belgian reacted.
And the internet reacted.
Probably not exactly how you would expect though.
Football Manager legend or actual legend?
https://twitter.com/Kloppinhoo/status/725934228282576896
It wasn’t even a debate for some people.
https://twitter.com/MasaiLincoln/status/725789001970515970
Even the experts started weighing in.
And David James.
David James thinking Mignolet is as good as De Gea 😐😐😐😐
— 𝔻𝕒𝕣𝕣 (@darrylhender) April 28, 2016
Soon, United fans began pining for Mignolet.
https://twitter.com/SemperFiUnited/status/725768412954120192
World class, you might say.
World what?
Did you say world class?
At least De Gea is becoming a verb though.
Mignolet pulled a De Gea
— KB DanMaliki ♻️ 💡 (@iMajorX) April 28, 2016
We’ll get our coats then…
https://twitter.com/Brianzy24/status/725764499844784129
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