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Liverpool finally closed their season on a high after defeating Tottenham Hotspur at the Champions League final. The Reds had worried over their possible trophyless season before the match, as they had lost the Premier League title to Manchester City.
Jurgen Klopp's men managed to claim a place in the Champions League final for 2 consecutive seasons and also secured a record 97 points in the Premier League. They had given everything and deserved at least a trophy for all their hard work.
Their lingering defensive problems have now become things of the past after the arrival of Fabinho, Virgil van Dijk, and Alisson Becker. The Reds conceded just 22 goals in the league this term, considerably less than last season's 38, thanks to their defenders.
However, van Dijk seems to have earned all the spotlight for Liverpool's defensive achievements. The Dutchman might have offered serious competition for Lionel Messi in the Ballon d'Or race, but Alisson also has many reasons to claim the award.
Here, we will discover why:
#1 Flawless goalkeeping
The Brazilian goalkeeper has been reliable all season and became the unsung hero for Liverpool despite van Dijk's impressive form. He recorded outstanding 21 clean sheets in the Premier League alone, winning the Golden Glove award deservedly.
He also racked up 76 saves from 38 league appearances, considerably better than Ederson Morales' 58 saves in the same number of games. An agile goalkeeper with lightning-quick reflexes, Alisson has been excellent in saving close range shots as well as long shots.
His passing accuracy also stood an impressive 79.8 percent in all competitions. Virtually, he has no weaknesses and has done his goalkeeping job splendidly for Liverpool. For now, no clubs could have asked for a better goalkeeper than the 26-year-old.
#2 More decisive than van Dijk in the Champions League
Alisson's reputation soared high since he became the first choice goalkeeper for AS Roma in the 2017/18 season. Surprisingly, he was a nobody 2 years ago, making zero league appearances throughout the 2016/17 campaign.
However, ex-Roma goalkeeping coach Roberto Negrisolo claimed that the Brazilian is the 'Messi of goalkeepers' due to Alisson's excellent shot-stopping display. Now, the Messi of goalkeepers nickname even sounds underwhelming for Alisson, as the 26-year-old became the most decisive player for Klopp in the Champions League.
Alisson had endured a tough Champions League spell with Liverpool, facing top clubs such as PSG, Bayern, and Barcelona. However, he always showed up when Liverpool needed him the most. He outperformed van Dijk by a considerable margin at both the semifinal and final stages of the European competition, making an impressive 15 saves in total.
Many remembered the Brazilian's crucial last-minute save against Napoli at the group stage which sent Liverpool through to the knockout stages. He also became the Reds standout performer against PSG at Parc des Princes, making 6 saves while van Dijk flopped at that time.
#3 Massive impact
Some had questioned over Liverpool's decision to sign Alisson with the then world-record fee of £66.8 million, due to the 26-year-old having just made his breakthrough season for AS Roma at the time. However, he quickly justified his massiveprice-tag and became Europe's best shot-stopper in his debut season for the English side.
He also makes up for Loris Karius' problems after replacing the German between the sticks at Anfield. The Reds struggled defensively in the previous season due to several Karius's schoolboy mistakes. The goalkeeping errors also cost Jurgen Klopp dearly during the last Champions League final despite van Dijk's presence.
Now, Liverpool has transformed into impregnable fortress thanks to Alisson's solid goalkeeping. The Brazilian has also maintained an excellent level of concentration due to his high passing accuracy. His Champions League final performance was also a stark contrast to Karius, as he was named the man of the match following the conclusion of the game.
