Both Alisson Becker and Harvey Elliott shared their thoughts with reporters after Liverpool secured a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace.
While Harvey Elliott emerged as the potential hero for Liverpool in the match against Crystal Palace last Saturday, it was equally crucial that Alisson Becker played a pivotal role in securing all three points.
Making his comeback after sustaining a hamstring injury in the Reds’ 1-1 draw with Man City last month, the Brazilian goalkeeper delivered a standout performance at Selhurst Park. Alisson’s noteworthy contribution included two significant saves, proving instrumental in guiding his team to a well-deserved triumph.
In the first half, Alisson thwarted Jefferson Lerma’s imminent goal, skillfully deflecting his close-range strike onto the near post while the match was still tied. Later in the game’s closing moments, the 31-year-old goalkeeper made a crucial save by tipping away Joachim Andersen’s formidable header, denying Crystal Palace a potential dramatic equaliser.
Post-match, Alisson expressed his satisfaction with his comeback and the consequential influence he had, admitting that Liverpool fell short of their best performance.
“It was good to be back,” he said. “I was only away for three games but I missed being on the pitch a lot so I’m really happy that I could be back to help the team today.
“It always feels good to make a save to help the team. And it’s really much better if you win the games. That’s the most important thing and I’m really happy with the three points.
“We didn’t perform today in our best way but in the last 20 minutes maybe we improved a lot with the ball. Created more chances and being a little bit more aggressive in a good way.
“Making shots from outside the box, that helped a lot as well. Creating the chances and finishing it, that’s what got us the three points today.
“I think a winning team needs that kind of mentality (to keep on coming from behind.) Of course, if you can do the things better earlier (in the game), that’s what we want. But sometimes you go to the games and the things you plan, they don’t come out.”
Alisson notes the similarities between Jurgen Klopp’s current team and the Liverpool side that secured the Premier League in the 2019/20 season. While exercising caution, the Brazilian goalkeeper admits the club’s target this season is to win the league.
“It’s important for us to win every game that we have in front of us,” he said. “Our target, our goal is winning the league. But we need to keep our feet on the ground and play it game by game.
“The next game is the most important for us. We did that in the past when we won the league and this season, we’ll see where we can end up.”
Alisson expressed his admiration for Mohamed Salah following the victory over Palace. The Egypt international reached a milestone, securing his 200th goal for Liverpool and his 150th in the Premier League. Salah not only equalised the scores but also played a pivotal role in assisting Elliott’s dramatic last-minute winning goal.
“Mo is an amazing player,” he said. “He’s so important for us and he is always happy when he breaks records and when he breaks his own records.
“He’s a guy who goes for everything that he can achieve. So consistent and always performing well and even when he’s not, he’s scoring anyway. He’s that kind of guy.
“We need him sometimes to make the difference upfront and he did today.”
Salah celebrated a recent milestone goal, contributing once again to Liverpool’s success at Selhurst Park on Saturday. However, match-winner Elliott playfully suggested that the Egyptian star might have been slightly miffed by the midfielder’s decisive late goal.
After receiving the ball from Salah, the England Under-21s international advanced, skillfully evading two defenders, and then placed the ball into the bottom corner from the edge of the box. Despite Salah’s run into the area and subsequent calls for a return pass, Elliott chose to take the shot.
This marked Elliott’s first goal of the season, and the 20-year-old is now determined to increase his tally for the season after breaking his scoring drought. Playfully, he hinted that Salah owed him an assist when addressing reporters after the final whistle.
“I feel like I’ve given the ball to him (Salah) in many situations and maybe it’s been the wrong situation,” he said of his winner. “But I thought, you know what, just try and shoot and score and get a goal – most importantly an assist for him so he can be happy!”
“If you don’t shoot, you don’t score and it was another opportunity where it opened up nicely and I was able to get the shot off and score. We did that against Fulham with a few of the goals.
“It’s just a confidence thing. I know if you feel confident and are in the situation to shoot and test the keeper, why not? It’s your decision and today it came off.
“I need to keep doing it. I can’t stop now. Now I’ve got one, I need to get two, three, four and five. I need to keep carrying on. I can’t be happy with just getting one goal and that is it.
“I need to keep going and keep taking confidence, for myself and the team. Keep affecting games and I’m just happy to do that today.”
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