Martin Dubravka has won the Premier League Save of the Month award for January 2025 for his stunning point-blank stop for Newcastle United against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Dubravka showed incredible reactions to keep out Jorgen Strand Larsen’s close-range effort, which he somehow managed to deflect onto the woodwork to preserve a clean sheet in a 3-0 win.
“We’d done a preparation with the goalie coach, actually, about the situation,” Dubravka revealed to Newcastle’s official website after receiving his award.
“It is extra special because the whole preparation for the game pays off at that moment. You know that you did something right during the week.
“It’s not just that save, but it’s repetitions. You’re constantly working during during the week on the opponent and you try to replicate it – and in a situation like this you’re happy.
“I tried to prepare myself for a tap-in, and just spread myself to try to react. Then Sven [Botman] tackled me at the same time! So I was happy that I could make the save, but at the same time I was sore because he smashed my hamstring from behind!
“But it was a special moment for me at the time – and to keep a clean sheet as well, it always counts. I didn’t want to give anything to Wolves.”
It was one of two Dubravka saves on a shortlist of six of the best stops by goalkeepers across the month.
The 36-year-old Slovak wins the award for the first time in his career and becomes the second Newcastle goalkeeper to win it since it was introduced in 2022/23, after Nick Pope, who claimed it in August 2022 and January 2023.
2024/25 Save of the Month winners
August: David Raya (Arsenal)
September: Andre Onana (Man Utd)
October: Robert Sanchez (Chelsea)
November: Andre Onana (Man Utd)
December: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)