Liverpool have kept their Champions League hopes alive by beating West Bromwich Albion 2-1 in the Premier League and this win came thanks to a 95th-minute winner from Alisson Becker.
With one point not doing any good for Liverpool’s chances of making it into the top four the keeper chose to take his chances by going up for a late corner. And to West Brom’s surprise, the Brazilian managed to put his head on the ball and divert it into the back of the net.
The winner sent all the Liverpool coaching staff and players into a frenzy but now that the dust has settled, Alisson has revealed why he chose to head into the opponent’s penalty area.
Alisson said after the match: “I tried to look at the bench but nobody called me and then John Achterberg[Liverpool’s goalkeeping coach] called me with conviction. It was the perfect time, the cross was brilliant again.
“I just tried to put my head on the ball and I think it was one of the best goals I saw! It’s the best I have scored! I’m really happy. I don’t have too many words, I just have to say thank you for the players because they fight a lot, we fight, I fight a lot as well.
“We are really exhausted from this season because of a lot of pressure, a lot of everything. Everything happened and [it was] missing a goalie goal! I’m happy tonight for the win.
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“Sometimes in training like we are in the crosses and you are just waiting for your time, if you are there the ball comes you and then you try to do something – but it’s just to have fun. I don’t train it to do it in the game.
“I have at least a sense how to head a ball because I do that a lot in the games to help defensively. You can’t explain those kind of things. This is football.”
Liverpool were vulnerable to a counter-attack by allowing Alisson to move up for the corner but in the end, this gamble paid off and the Anfield outfit are now just one point off the fourth spot on the table.
Chelsea and Leicester take on each other in midweek and if Thomas Tuchel’s side go down to the Foxes then Alisson and co will have the golden opportunity to leapfrog over them and enter the top four if they can beat Burnley on Wednesday.
