MY ACCOUNT
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson said he and his team-mates told each other to “stick together” during their recent difficult run of form.
The Reds won just two of their first eight Premier League games as they fell away from any talk of the title race in the early weeks of the season.
However, back-to-back 1-0 home wins against Manchester City and West Ham have restored some feel-good factor at Anfield, with the Brazilian’s penalty save on Wednesday helping his team narrowly beat the Hammers.
A 22nd-minute header from Darwin Nunez put Liverpool in front, before Jarrod Bowen was brought down in the box by Joe Gomez just before half-time.
However, Alisson dived down to his right to palm Bowen’s spot-kick away, before some nervy defending in the second half eventually led to a win for Jurgen Klopp’s men.
Speaking to Amazon Prime after the game, Alisson said: “Since the beginning of the season we have big goals to win trophies, to fight for every competition that we are in.
“Things didn’t work out so good for us. We started well with the Community Shield [victory] against Man City, an important game against an important, big opponent. It gave us a little bit of confidence but we didn’t use that for the Premier League and then suddenly we lost confidence during the games, we lost players as well for injuries.
“And this is something that affected the team, the rhythm, some players coming back from a long time not playing. All the circumstances around affected us a little bit. On the pitch as well, performances weren’t so bad but they weren’t enough to get the three points, to get the win.
“We just stick together – it was something that we were speaking about a lot, to stick together at this difficult time, difficult moment. Working hard, working every day – not only on matchdays.
“Now things are coming out, the results are coming but we don’t have to be too excited about that. We have to keep our feet on the ground and just stick together, keep on working because it’s a long and tough season for everybody.”
Alisson has only conceded seven of the 13 penalties he has faced in the Premier League (54 per cent, with two saved and four off target), the lowest percentage of any goalkeeper to face at least 10 spot-kicks in the competition.
Nunez’s goal was his first at Anfield as a Liverpool player, and his fifth in all competitions since arriving from Benfica at the end of last season.
“We are helping him a lot, we keep him really close,” Alisson said of the Uruguayan striker, who had six shots against West Ham before being taken off before the hour.
“He’s a really good lad. I know that it’s not easy, it’s really difficult to settle in a different country. When I came here, I knew a little bit more English than him – he’s learning. He’s working hard on that – not only on the pitch but outside to learn English.
“He’s a really disciplined man and we are trying to help him, help Lucho [Luis Diaz]. We are a really strong team who works together and sticks together all the time when we are at the training ground.
“Sometimes outside the pitch we come together to spend time together – and this is important not only for him but for his family and for all our families.”
