In the Premier League, Alisson Becker has been the top goalkeeper this season with the most shutouts.
Although Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson was praised for the many saves he got due to his team's defensive line problems, Liverpool's defensive performance was even better. With a record of 30 wins, 7 draws and 1 loss, Liverpool conceded only 22 goals, the best defense in the league, and Alisson's solid performance was a big part of that.
Van Dijk is being touted as the best player of the season, and Alisson has been just as integral as his partner. While Alisson didn't get the honor of being the best goalie on the defensive end, he was on par with Ederson, if not better in some ways.
Alisson, the 26-year-old Brazilian goalkeeper, is 193 centimeters tall and comes from a family of goalkeepers. His height didn't happen overnight, as he was once thought to be unable to play professionally due to developmental problems. However, his physical conditioning skyrocketed within a year, and his height soared from 170 to 187 centimeters, opening the way for him to become a professional.
Alisson started out at Sporting International in Brazil and quickly caught the attention of the European giants with his outstanding performances. The fact that he has several goalkeepers in his family also provided him with a solid foundation. Alisson's height advantage made him a natural fit in goal, and his career has been smooth sailing ever since.
In 2016, Alisson moved to Serie A side Roma and gradually became the team's starting goalkeeper.In 2017, Roma's starting goalkeeper Szczesny moved to Juventus and Alisson was able to be promoted to the team's No. 1 goalkeeper, where he shone that season.
In 2016, Liverpool signed Alisson for about 72.5 million euros, a price that set a record as the world's second most expensive goalkeeper at the time. Today, Alisson has become the backbone of Liverpool's defense, guarding the Liverpool gates with Van Dijk.
Alisson's saves are excellent and more importantly his judgment is superb. He is adept at watching his opponents and is ready for the opposing striker as he gets a one-touch ball. He is decisive in his strikes and good at blocking shots at the last minute, which makes it more common to see him deflecting the ball out of his defense than catching a shot.
Alisson's judgment isn't just in his saves, he also has excellent vision of the game. Liverpool's defense is built based on this characteristic, the whole defense is waiting for him to block the ball, and then quickly take the ball or launch a counterattack. This tactical system has resulted in Liverpool receiving a very low number of second shots from their opponents in the Premier League and Champions League.
