While many Liverpool players didn’t perform to their full potential in 2022–2023, Alisson once again proved why no goalkeeper in the entire world is qualified to lace up his boots.
The Brazilian was flawless in goal last season as the Reds came so close to completing the quadruple, playing with unwavering consistency.
While this season ultimately proved to be a bitterly disappointing one for Jürgen Klopp s , Alison was arguably the one player who could hold his head high.
For much of Klopp’s reign, picking out a standout player each year has been extremely tough, with so many strong contenders.
When Virgil van Dijk hasn’t been dominating at the center of the defense, Mohamed Salah has continued his record-breaking exploits in attack.
Sadio Mane was unplayable on his way to Premier League glory, which is why Trent Alexander-Arnold hasn’t quite taken the top spot.
However, there was virtually no question as to who Liverpool’s Player of the Year had been even before the final whistle at Southampton blew.
Given how easily the Reds have been opened up and how consistently Alisson, 30, foils opponents, it has almost felt like he is a one-man defense.
Since Klopp said in early May that if the goalie’s performance slips and ours does too, we would have been absolutely lost, you have to wonder where Liverpool would have finished without him.
Alisson has maintained his world-class level, whether it be his decision-making, calmness, or one-on-one ability, while so many others have struggled, including some of those mentioned above. He started 37 of his side’s 38 Premier League matches – the only game he sat out was at Southampton, and Caoimhin Kelleher conceded four goals – and at times almost single-handedly kept Liverpool in with a fighting chance of top four.
There are occasions when it’s easy to take Alisson for granted, such is his unspectacular nature as a goalkeeper.
In last season’s review, we touched upon the fact that he is never one to dive for the cameras and scream for the fans, such as Jordan Pickford and Aaron Ramsdale, and that has been no different this time around
Everything about him is unruffled, and as touched upon, he has stood tall behind a defence that has creaked throughout the campaign.
To sum up his brilliance, based on xG, Alisson ‘saved’ Liverpool an incredible 10.1 goals over the course of the Premier League campaign, according to FBref.
Which is more than any other goalkeeper.
Fulham‘s Bernd Leno (+9) is the only player who is remotely close to matching him – for further context, Kepa Arrizabalaga and David Raya, of Chelsea and Brentford respectively, were in joint-third place with a tally of +5.
By comparison, only six out of 39 goalkeepers performed worse against their opponents’ xG than Man City‘s Ederson (-4.8)
This is made all the more impressive by the fact that Alisson tops the pile across Europe’s top five leagues, too, with Leno behind him in second place and Girona’s Paulo Gazzaniga (+8.8) completing the top three
Has Alisson been absolutely perfect? No. But no goalkeeper is.
There have been a few errors thrown in, most notably passing the ball straight to Vinicius Jr in the galling 5-2 defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League, and doing similar against Wolves in the FA Cup.
But the positives have outweighed the negatives by an enormous amount, with big opportunities chewed up, superb pieces of distribution helping launch counter-attacks and a feeling of calm surrounding him, amid the madness
The true greats of the game make everything look effortlessly simple, and few make goalkeeping look like an easier task than Alisson.
While 30 can be a milestone age for outfield players, with many considering it the start of a decline, it remains the absolute peak for many goalkeepers.
For that reason, Liverpool have a player in Alisson who has never been better, and who shouldn’t really drop off for the foreseeable future.
There may be question marks about the likes of Van Dijk and Salah, for example, and whether they may begin to slide – some may argue they already have – but their near-perfect Brazilian between the sticks is a very different animal.
With that in mind, it could be time for Kelleher to enjoy a new challenge, with regular starts not coming his way at Anfield
Alisson will go into next season as one of the first names on Klopp’s teamsheet, and in order for Liverpool to get back to their past levels, they need him at his very best.
At this point, he is surely the greatest goalkeeper in the history of the club, even though Ray Clemence was special in his own right and racked up more trophies.
