Soccer pundits Ian Wright and Danny Murphy are both in complete agreement about the Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who has had another exceptional season between the sticks for the Reds.
Alisson broke down in tears after the Premier League title was confirmed against Spurs last weekend. He has made 24 appearances out of a possible 34 in the top flight this season, with Caoimhin Kelleher deputizing when he has been injured, and has played a key part in the Reds winning the league for the second time in five years.
“Goalkeeping is not my expertise but, as strikers going in on goalkeepers, it feels like he is the best I’ve seen in one on ones,” Murphy says on Optus Sport’s Kelly and Wrighty Show. “[Peter] Schmeichel used to be good at it [but] Alisson seems to stay [big].”
“Liverpool have got a goalkeeper who has come in and done the job,” Wright, the former Arsenal striker, added. “[Kelleher stepping in for Alisson] was seamless, to the point where people weren’t even talking about Alisson when he was out. Seamless.
“[In one-v-one situations, Alisson] stays massive. Sometimes you see goals and you think, ‘I can see space [to shoot into]’. When you’re running through [against Alisson], you can’t see space.
“His angles are so good. The closer you’re getting, the smaller the goal behind him is, and the bigger he is looking.”
(Image: Getty Images)
Alisson is loving life at Liverpool and is under contract until 2027. His coach, the Brazilian legend Claudio Taffarel, expects him to stay put for a good while yet despite interest from Saudi Arabia.
“The header goal (against West Brom to help secure Champions League qualification in 2021), that historic goal, the crying… it’s a very beautiful story, right?” Taffarel told ESPN Brasil this week.
“Ali wants to continue living this story. I saw that this wave of Saudi Arabia come with great opportunities, very high offers. But he always says: ‘Wow, I want to continue this story because I owe a lot to them here, and I want to continue this life here’.
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“I was impressed when I arrived. The admiration that the players have for him, the employees here, the [backroom staff] — both this one and Jurgen Klopp’s in the past — the board.
“He really is a very important figure here. Because of the history he has had here, on the field, right? Showing that in the games, important games.”
Liverpool.com says: Alisson has been exceptional again this season, proving himself as the best in the world. The only drawback is that he gets injured more often than you would expect for a goalkeeper, which is why the arrival of Giorgi Mamardashvili in the summer will be important.
The Brazilian is superb at one-on-ones, as Murphy and Wright said, and his distribution is excellent too. There is no weakness to his game and he has proven to be a bargain buy since he came in from AS Roma in 2018.
