Rafa Benitez has hailed the ‘very clever’ Alisson Becker for his assist during Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday, as he told Premier League Productions (16/10/22 at 6:55 pm).
The former Liverpool boss thinks, even Manchester City know that Alisson is ‘very good’ at his distribution, as he proved when he assisted Mo Salah for the only goal of the game.
In a typical clash between these two over the years, it was a game full of drama, frantic action and aggressive defending.
Pep Guardiola’s side did have the ball in the back of the net before Salah could score because Phil Foden pounced on Alisson denying the on-rushing Erling Haaland.
But following complaints from the Liverpool players, and a VAR check, the goal was chalked off to the annoyance of the man in Manchester City’s dugout because of a foul on Fabinho in the build-up to the goal.
That’s when Alisson channelled his inner Thiago Alcantara, and as the Brazil goalkeeper has done many times before – cite back to Manchester United at Anfield – his ball over the top resulted in Joao Cancelo making a mistake, which Salah duly punished.
“They (Man City) know he’s very good,” said Benitez. “He is starting the counter-attack. Mohamed Salah, and he also knew, so it was very clear.
“You have to have the vision and the technique to do things like this.”
MODERN-DAY GOALKEEPERS
The men in between sticks in today’s game are a different breed and built very different compared to what used to be produced many years ago.
Now, keepers like Alisson, and especially his fellow countryman at the other end, Ederson, are good enough to play in midfield if they were asked to.
Their range of passing is out of this world, and if you execute the game plan well, then it’s like having an extra man out on the field.
Ederson is probably the best at it in world football at it and has done it many times before, but this time, he got a taste of his own medicine.
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