Curously omitted from the selected Match of the Day highlights for some reason, Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker provided a lovely little sideshow during his side’s 1-0 win over Brighton on Saturday.
Alisson may be a goalkeeper by trade, but he’s also Brazilian by birth, which means when faced with a scurrying Anthony Knockaert trying to close him down on the edge of his own 18-yard box, he’s liable to do something like this…
As wonderfully ridiculous as it was, Alisson’s rinky dink was enough to give Jurgen Klopp heart palpitations as he watched on from the touchline:
That wasn’t too cool for a manager. If it works then it’s cool!
I had a few centre-halves who were able to do things a centre-half should not do, like Mats Hummels – constantly doing things which made no sense but he was really good in there.
Klopp also defended Alisson from those misery arses criticising the ex-Roma stopper for showboating and/or taking the risky option:
Alisson is obviously a goalkeeper who can play football, which is good. He’s confident enough to do it. He didn’t do it for showing off, he did it to sort the situation.
He has a nice level of confidence, so he uses that. I like the save from the header more than the chip, but the chip was the right thing to do in that situation.
Liverpool went on to win thanks to a single goal from Mohamed Salah, thus pinging themselves to the top of the Premier League pile with three victories from their opening three matches.