Liverpool, in the midst of the 2024/25 Premier League title race, dropped points on the road at Nottingham Forest after Matz Sels’ masterclass in between the sticks proved to be the difference – but the same cannot be said for his opposite number Alisson Becker.
The inevitable Chris Wood, regarded as one of the best strikers in England’s division, converted his 12th strike of the campaign and opened the scoring inside eight minutes as the Reds found themselves with a mountain to climb so early on.
Incredibly, substitute duo Kostas Tsimikas and Diogo Jota combined seconds after being introduced to save a point for Arne Slot and his entourage. Sels stood tall in the home net on many occasions in the affair’s latter stages to prevent them from earning all three.
Alisson has doubtlessly been one of the best goalkeepers in world football since moving from AS Roma to Anfield in the summer of 2018 but, perhaps thanks to his recent seven-game hiatus via a hamstring injury, he is not hitting the same heights this season.
Offering the Anfield faithful something to worry about, Alisson sustained a hamstring injury – and was temporarily replaced by Caoimhin Kelleher – in October and missed games against Chelsea, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Manchester City.
Although Slot’s men remained unbeaten in that time with Kelleher between the sticks, the Internacional graduate swiftly returned to his spot for when his side welcomed Fulham to the red side of Merseyside in mid-December 2024.
Against Forest, the £150,000-per week earner’s weaknesses were exploited. For Wood’s goal, he was slow to grow to go to ground and, all in all, struggled to win the faith of the Liverpool fanbase with a shaky performance.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Alisson, in his 278-game Liverpool career, has kept 121 clean sheets and conceded 248 goals.
Fans, as a result, are displeased with the Brazilian’s performance in between the sticks. One even questioned whether the goalkeeper, typically known for his shot stopping ability, had made a single save since returning from his injury.
“Has Alisson saved a single thing since he came back man?”
Insisting that his drop in form is not ‘good enough’ for a team vying for all manner of silverware, another wrote: “Alisson has faced 15 shots on target in the Premier League since his return, and he’s conceded 9 of them. I’m sorry, but that is nowhere near good enough.”
In response to the above statistic, which is a damning read for everyone associated with the table toppers, one implored Slot to give Kelleher another chance instead: “That’s pathetic. Needs to be better. Should honestly give Kelleher a start.”
Liverpool do have a contingency plan in place to alleviate the downturn in the 32-year-old’s performances since coming back from injury: Kelleher has enough senior minutes under his belt, while Valencia and Georgia man Giorgi Mamardashvili is set to join in the summer.
