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An emotional Alisson Becker dedicated his winning goal for Liverpool to his father on Sunday, and claimed that God put his hand on his head.
The Reds faced off against West Brom at the Hawthorns, and the already relegated side made things difficult for Liverpool as they defended staunchly.
Although Liverpool bounced back after conceding a goal in the opening 15 minutes through a Mohamed Salah strike, they struggled to find the winner and were repeatedly denied by the West Brom defense.
Liverpool won a late corner in injury time and with everything to lose, Alisson Becker was given the green light by goalkeeping coach John Achterberg to join the set-piece.
Completely unmarked in the box, the Brazilian met Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross perfectly as Sam Johnstone could only watch the ball nestle into the net.
In the process, Alisson became the only goalkeeper in Liverpool’s history to score a goal, and it could have a massive impact in the race for the top four.
Emotional Alisson dedicates last-gasp Liverpool strike to late father
It has been a difficult few months for Alisson Becker, who lost his father Jose Agostinho Becker in February.
Due to the restrictions because of COVID-19, Alisson did not have the chance to attend his father’s funeral.
A devout Catholic, Alisson later said after the game against West Brom that God had put his hand on his head.
“I’m too emotional, with everything that’s happened in my life recently with my family: football is my life, from since I remember with my father. I hope he was there watching and celebrating. Sometimes we [Liverpool] have been doing things and it’s not been working. The Champions League is so important to us and I’m so happy I am able to help.
“You can’t explain a lot of things in life. The only answer for me is God; he put his hand on my head today and allowed this to happen. It’s emotional for me, I’ve received incredible support recently [from the footballing fraternity]. I can’t thank you all enough for the support,” the Liverpool shot-stopper said after the match.
With the win, Liverpool are now just a point behind Leicester City and Chelsea, and the two teams will face each other this week.
