Liverpool player’s damning statistic may have Arne Slot reconsidering previous comments
Arne Slot was in no doubt as to one position in Liverpool’s line-up when he addressed the media after a victory over Aston Villa in November.
That result came during a two-month period in which Caoimhin Kelleher deputised for the injured Alisson Becker to such a proficient degree that it prompted debate as to whether the Irishman would keep his place even when our number 1 had returned to full fitness.
The 46-year-old promptly dispelled that notion by stating: “I’ve always been quite clear and that’s always been the position of Alisson that he is, and will be, our first goalkeeper if he is fit.”
Slot has kept faith in Alisson – but a worrying stat has emerged
Slot has been as good as his word, restoring the Brazilian to the starting XI last month after he’d overcome his hamstring injury, although our long-serving first-choice ‘keeper hasn’t had the best of times since he made his comeback against Girona in the Champions League five weeks ago.
In fact, CF Comps on X shared a graphic which shows that, since the 32-year-old’s return to action, his figure for post-shot expected goals (PSxG) versus goals prevented is the worst of any netminder in the Premier League, with a negative differential of 2.87 (Ari Muric is the next-worst with -1.88).
Alisson. Please wake up. pic.twitter.com/GGpAMKDJbX
— CF Comps (@CF_Compss) January 14, 2025
In six top-flight matches since recovering from injury, Alisson has kept just one clean sheet and conceded nine goals, including three against Tottenham from a PSxG of 1.9 and two against Manchester United despite a PSxG of just 0.4 (FBref).
Prior to his first Premier League game back (the 2-2 draw against Fulham in mid-December), Liverpool had shipped just 11 goals in 14 top-flight matches, with the Brazilian beaten only twice in his six league outings before he got injured (Transfermarkt).
The nature of some of this concessions might also worry Slot. A goalkeeper of the 32-year-old’s ability shouldn’t have let Chris Wood’s shot past him last night, and Amad Diallo’s equaliser at Anfield wasn’t exactly a thunderbolt either.
As for the ridiculous moment where he was caught in possession against Spurs in the Carabao Cup…he can thank his lucky starts that the subsequent chance didn’t end up in his net.
Could Slot be forced into a rethink?
Giorgi Mamardashvili won’t be coming to Merseyside until the summer, so Kelleher remains the strongest competitor for Alisson’s place in the team.
Considering that the Irishman pulled off some astounding saves during his two-month spell in the side (not least to deny Kylian Mbappe from the penalty spot), is there a case to be made for him to be recalled to the starting XI?
We’re probably not quite at that stage just yet, but nor should Liverpool’s strangely off-colour number 1 feel like he can rest on his laurels when his immediate backup is so good.
The Alisson of the past five weeks has been nothing like the world-class Alisson that we’ve seen at Anfield since 2018. We need him to get back to his usual levels if we’re to maintain our position at the top of the Premier League.
If his current slump continues, maybe Slot will need to revisit the defiant boast that he made in November…
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