Alisson and Ederson are two of the best goalkeepers in the world and, despite being title-rivals at Liverpool and Man City, continue to push each other for club and country.
As the Reds chased down what would have been an unprecedented quadruple last season, Pep Guardiola’s men were one of the few sides to stand in their way. And while it was Jurgen Klopp’s recruits who came out on top on their path to winning the FA Cup, it was ultimately Ederson who got the better of his compatriot when it came to lifting the Premier League.
Having shared the Premier League Golden Glove award last season, the duo are both vying for first-choice status for Brazil ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar this winter, with Alisson having the better of that battle for the majority. However, a loss of form amid personal tragedy in 2021 did see the Liverpool number one lose his starting role.
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An ever-present for the Selecao when they won the Copa America in 2019, he has won just 13 of his 55 international caps in their last 32 fixtures, with the Man City shot-stopper, despite missing the last two international breaks, winning 13 of his 18 international caps during this period in contrast.
Ederson had controversially emerged as Brazil’s first-choice during last summer’s Copa America, playing once in the group-stages as Tite rotated his goalkeepers before starting throughout the knockout stages as the Selecao lost 1-0 to Argentina in the final. Yet questions were asked about his positioning for Angel Di Maria’s winner, and he has played just twice for his country since, with Alisson’s form last season alongside his compatriot’s absence for recent breaks seeing the Reds goalkeeper regain starting status.
As a result it remains to be seen which of the two Tite will favour in Qatar, with the Brazil number one shirt still very much up for grabs between these two world class shot-stoppers heading towards the World Cup. But while there is such uncertainty on the international stage due to their elite statuses, their berths at club-level are pretty much untouchable.
With Alisson aged 29 and under-contract at Anfield until 2027 and the 28-year-old Ederson contracted at the Etihad until 2026, it’s pretty clear both Liverpool and City have things sorted on the goalkeeping front for the foreseeable future. And while that’s good news for both the Reds and the Cityzens, it makes life a little trickier for both Klopp and Guardiola when it comes to back-up shot-stoppers.
In Caoimhin Kelleher, Liverpool have one of the best number two goalkeepers they’ve ever boasted in Premier League history. Boasting 17 appearances for the Reds to date, six of those outings have come in the English top-flight and the Champions League while he was the hero in the League Cup final at Wembley last season as Klopp’s side won the League Cup.
Speaking after that victory, the Liverpool boss hailed the 23-year-old as the best back-up goalkeeper in the world while acknowledging the dilemma Kelleher faces with Alisson ahead of him in the pecking order.
“Alisson Becker is the best goalie in the world for me,” Klopp told reporters. “There are other good goalkeepers out there but this goalie is absolutely insane. But to be honest for me Caoimhin Kelleher is the best number two goalie in the world as well.
“The game he played tonight was absolutely incredible. I can remember at least two incredible saves, and probably there were more. So he proved that the decision to line him up was absolutely right.
“And then in a very spectacular penalty shootout he showed the whole range of his skill set. He finished one off with his really skilled feet. So top class.”
Having been promoted to Liverpool’s number two goalkeeper in 2020/21 ahead of Adrian, Kelleher has spent his entire senior career to date at Anfield rather than going out on loan for senior experience. But at 23 years of age, he is starting to face a difficult decision about his long-term future.
“I’m not sure on what’s happening yet," he told reporters when asked about his future while away with the Republic of Ireland during the June international break. "I’m still finishing this season and then we will have conversations after that to see what happens.
“Obviously, I need to play these few games and see what happens with these and maybe decide after that.”
Liverpool would obviously loathe to lose Kelleher, either on loan or permanently, when they value him so highly and have such faith in him as their second-choice goalkeeper. But they will be well aware that they can’t keep the Irishman on their bench forever.
And Man City’s solution to their own goalkeeping set-up could ultimately end up forcing the Reds’ hand.
While Alisson and Ederson provide a Liverpool vs Man City battle with Brazil, it’s a similar story with Ireland with Kelleher vying for first-choice status against Man City academy graduate Gavin Bazunu. Unlike the Reds’ number two, the 20-year-old has enjoyed time out on loan, registering two seasons as a first-choice goalkeeper in League One with Rochdale and Portsmouth over the past two campaigns.
As a result of that game-time, he ultimately did have the edge over Kelleher on the international stage, winning 10 international caps compared to the Liverpool shot-stopper’s eight. However, he has only been in the Ireland squad for one of their six fixtures in 2022 due to injury, with the Reds’ number two starting all games for Stephen Kenny’s side in his absence. Meanwhile, unlike the 23-year-old, Bazunu never played for his parent club.
And now he never will, after leaving Man City to join Southampton in a £12m deal earlier this week.
"Gavin is a very exciting addition to the squad," said Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl. "He is a goalkeeper with a very modern style of play, comfortable in the build-up phase, who has developed physically through some very important loan moves early in his career. He is already an international goalkeeper, which is very rare for his age.
Meanwhile, Bazunu said: "I feel like it's a place I can come and develop and learn my game. The biggest thing is opportunity - the fact that I can come here and have a chance to play regular football."
It remains to be seen if Bazunu will be first-choice for Southampton with them also signing Mateusz Liz and still having both Alex McCarthy and Willy Caballero on the books. But his move to St. Mary’s, if regular football follows, will inevitably give him the edge over Kelleher on the international stage if the goalkeeper stays put behind Alisson at Anfield.
As a result, Man City’s decision to allow Bazunu to leave could ultimately give Kelleher plenty to think about as he ponders his own future, with Alisson ultimately leaving him facing an impossible task to usurp the Brazilian. Sometimes, it doesn't matter how talented you are, it is just best to move on and make your name elsewhere.
Klopp and Kelleher would hate to make a similar decision as Guardiola and Bazunu, but it might be getting closer to the point where they might have no other choice. After all, even if they allow him to leave on loan with the possibility of being first-choice after Alisson in the future, that still requires a replacement in the mean-time.
Whether the goalkeeper pushes for an exit or stays patient remains to be seen, though it would be a surprise if he didn’t remain at Anfield for 2022/23 as things stand. After all, Ireland didn't qualify for the World Cup so Kelleher isn't fighting to start in Qatar. But beyond that, both player and manager have some big thinking to do as they ponder what’s the best next step for the best number two goalkeeper in the world.
