Chelsea will not need reminding of the role Liverpool’s second-choice goalkeeper played in their downfall when the sides last met at Wembley. The form of Liverpool’s first choice – or “the best goalie in the world”, to use Jürgen Klopp’s description – places a greater obstacle between Thomas Tuchel’s team and payback in Saturday’s FA Cup final.
In a quadruple-chasing season featuring a club record 142 goals and counting, the dazzling impact of Luis Díaz, the world-class consistency of Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah, and the contract doubts that surround them both, it is understandable the spotlight has settled only fleetingly on Alisson Becker. Yet as the away section at Villa Park recognised after Tuesday’s vital win over Aston Villa by chanting the Brazilian’s name long after the final whistle, his contribution to Liverpool’s remarkable campaign cannot be overstated.
