MY ACCOUNT
Alisson sees similarities between himself and Brazil colleague Ederson but accepts the Manchester City goalkeeper “looks more cool”.
Liverpool keeper Alisson moved to the Premier League in 2018, 12 months after Ederson had signed for City.
The two have since set the standard in England and beyond, establishing themselves as two of the best shot-stoppers in world football.
Alisson has the gloves for Brazil, earning 54 caps to Ederson’s 18, but there is little to separate the pair.
They each have 17 clean sheets in the Premier League this season – five more than their nearest rivals – while only Josa Sa (10.0) and David de Gea (6.0) have prevented more goals according to expected goals on target data.
Alisson has saved 75.6 per cent of the on-target shots he has faced, preventing 1.7 goals, with Ederson’s save percentage of 71.0 slightly lower as he has prevented 1.8 goals.
Where Ederson comes out on top, though, is with the ball at his feet. Alisson’s passing accuracy of 84.8 per cent ranks second among Premier League keepers but trails his countryman’s outstanding 88.4 per cent. The City man is the only keeper in the division to complete more than half of his long passes (56.4 per cent), too.
Ederson’s ability in possession was on show last week in a moment that garnered plenty of attention when Alisson and Liverpool visited the Etihad Stadium for a 2-2 draw.
A rare slack touch in his six-yard box, with Diogo Jota closing in, did not concern Ederson, who calmly played a square pass along his goal-line – showing the cool that makes him stand out.
“Ederson is a fantastic goalkeeper, fantastic guy as well, really nice,” Alisson told Liverpool’s official website ahead of another meeting with City in the FA Cup semi-finals.
“We have a good relationship playing together in the national team, fighting for a place in the team.
“The things that he has achieved with his team as well are big, the level he’s playing as well is high.
“He’s among the top goalkeepers in the world – maybe top three, four in my opinion. One of the best with the feet, if not the best.
“I think we have a similar approach to the game. We are calm on the pitch, calm with the ball, players who like to play with the team as well, like to build up. We also play with teams who like to build up from behind – not only long kicks. This helps us.
“I think he looks more cool than me – sometimes I am more angry or put more energy on things.
“Each one of us has our own skills, our own characters, but we are performing really well and in a consistent way as well.”
Ederson’s unerring calm was highlighted by Pep Guardiola this week, telling reporters: “This guy is crazy, honestly. Sometimes, I think, if he doesn’t feel something…
“For me, for a keeper, it’s top to have that feeling. Concede a goal? He’s calm. Make a save? He’s calm. He’s so stable and, as a keeper, it’s fantastic.
“For the people outside, it’s completely different. In that moment, I thought it couldn’t be as close [to the line]; after, I saw the image on TV. It’s one inch to the goal, and it doesn’t matter.”
