Sometimes you see a statistic about a footballer and immediately think:
Yep. That sounds like Alisson.
This is one of those statistics.
According to the latest Premier League data, 61.5% of Alisson’s saves this season have resulted in no rebound.
That is the best rate among Premier League goalkeepers.
And the positional average is just 34.92%.
That is a huge difference.
It also tells us something that a basic save percentage simply can’t.
Alisson doesn’t just stop shots. He deals with them.
That’s what makes the statistic so impressive
When a goalkeeper makes a save, the job isn’t necessarily finished.
If the ball spills back into a dangerous area, the opposition can immediately attack the rebound.
Suddenly the goalkeeper has made a save but the danger hasn’t actually gone away.
That’s where Alisson is different.
A save that doesn’t produce a rebound means the goalkeeper has either held the ball or dealt with it safely enough to prevent an immediate second opportunity.
And Alisson is doing that 61.5% of the time.
The Premier League average is only 34.92%. (Tribuna)
That’s not a small difference.
It’s a pretty remarkable one.
And Liverpool really benefit from it
I think this is particularly important for the way Liverpool are playing under Andoni Iraola.
Liverpool are becoming much more defensively solid, but they aren’t going to stop every opponent from getting chances.
Even the best defensive sides concede shots.
The difference is what happens when those shots arrive.
If Alisson saves one and the ball falls straight back to an opposition attacker, Liverpool can suddenly be under pressure again.
If Alisson catches it?
Attack over.
If he pushes it safely away from danger?
Attack over.
That ability to finish the attacking sequence is hugely valuable.
And the numbers suggest Alisson is doing that better than any other Premier League goalkeeper this season.
This is why I keep saying Liverpool need Alisson
I’ve already said I think Liverpool should be looking at giving Alisson a new contract.
And statistics like this only strengthen that argument for me.
There has been understandable excitement about Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Liverpool wouldn’t have signed him if they didn’t believe he could eventually become their long-term goalkeeper.
But there’s a big difference between having a potential successor and actually replacing Alisson.
Liverpool aren’t there yet.
Alisson is still performing at an incredibly high level.
He has started five Premier League games this season, with Liverpool unbeaten in those matches, and has three clean sheets. StatMuse also currently has him leading Premier League goalkeepers for passing accuracy at 81.5%.
So we’re not talking about a goalkeeper who is simply living off his reputation.
He’s still contributing.
He’s still making important saves.
And he’s still doing the little things that can make a massive difference over the course of a season.
It’s the little things that make Alisson special
That’s probably what I like most about this statistic.
It isn’t glamorous.
Nobody is going to make a compilation video called “Alisson’s amazing no-rebound saves.”
But these are the details that goalkeeping coaches will appreciate.
Because keeping a shot out is one thing.
Making sure the ball doesn’t fall straight to an opposition player is another.
Alisson has always had that calmness about him.
You rarely see him panic.
He doesn’t seem desperate to make every save look spectacular.
Sometimes he’ll simply get his hands behind the ball and make sure it stays with him.
Job done.
And when he can’t hold it, his positioning and reactions often allow him to direct the ball away from danger.
That’s proper goalkeeping.
It also makes life easier for Liverpool’s defenders
Think about Virgil van Dijk.
Think about Jérémy Jacquet.
Think about Ronald Araújo.
These players are becoming a very impressive defensive unit for Liverpool.
But even the best defenders need to know they have a goalkeeper behind them who can clean up when something gets through.
That’s what Alisson provides.
And if he’s regularly preventing rebounds, it means those defenders aren’t having to deal with a second phase of the attack quite as often.
That can make a difference over 90 minutes.
One fewer loose ball.
One fewer scramble.
One fewer second shot.
One fewer opportunity for an opposition forward to punish Liverpool.
It all adds up.
At 34, he’s still giving Liverpool something special
There will naturally be questions about Alisson’s age and his long-term future.
He’s 34 now.
Mamardashvili is waiting in the wings.
Liverpool have to think about succession planning.
But I’d be very careful about confusing planning for the future with being ready to move on.
Because Alisson is still giving Liverpool something extremely difficult to replace.
And this 61.5% statistic is a brilliant example.
The Premier League goalkeeper average is 34.92%.
Alisson is at 61.5%.
That’s nearly 27 percentage points higher.
And that isn’t something you can simply assume another goalkeeper will reproduce.
Give the man the contract he deserves
I’m not saying Liverpool should ignore the future.
Mamardashvili needs to be developed.
Liverpool need to know what their goalkeeping situation looks like beyond Alisson.
But if the question is whether Alisson is still good enough to be Liverpool’s No.1?
For me, absolutely.
These numbers are another reminder.
He isn’t just making saves.
He’s stopping the opposition from getting another chance after the save.
He’s helping Liverpool’s defence.
He’s giving his defenders confidence.
And he’s still capable of producing those moments that change matches.
61.5% of his saves producing no rebound.
Best in the Premier League.
Average goalkeeper: 34.92%.
Sometimes the simplest statistics tell you exactly what you need to know.
Liverpool still have an outstanding goalkeeper.
And I’d really like to see him stay at Anfield for a few more years yet.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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