Liverpool Stay Top, Despite Alisson Blunder
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said Alisson’s horrendous error “was clearly going to happen one day”, after his side maintained their 100% start to the season with victory at Leicester.
Klopp’s team looked on course for a comfortable win when, after Mo Salah had uncharacteristically missed an open goal, Sadio Mane pounced in the penalty area to poke Liverpool in front after only 10 minutes.
Liverpool’s position looked even more secure when Roberto Firmino stole in on James Milner’s corner to double their advantage with a header on the stroke of half-time - but they then proceeded to make life difficult for themselves.
And the main culprit was Alisson, the £67m summer signing from Roma, who was embarrassed as he gifted Leicester a goal after 63 minutes when he was robbed by Kelechi Iheanacho while inexplicably performing an elaborate turn with the ball at his feet in the area, Rachid Ghezzal scoring following the ensuing chaos.
Leicester pushed for the equaliser but Liverpool closed out victory to make it four wins out of four at the start of a league season for the first time in 28 years - and leave keeper Alisson the most relieved man inside the King Power Stadium.
“It was clearly going to happen one day,” Klopp said of Alisson’s error. “I didn’t think it was going to happen in the next match (after his successful showboating against Brighton last time out, when he chipped an on-rushing attacker). It’s all OK. He knows he could have cleared the situation.