Is Alisson Becker The Greatest Goalkeeper In Premier League History?
There are some who'll question my agenda behind writing this article since Alisson Becker is only in his sixth season at Liverpool which usually isn't nearly long enough to warrant a place in conversations to be the best in your position in the entire history of a domestic league.
However, Alisson isn't your run-of-the-mill goalkeeper, he's been top three in his position ever since joining Liverpool while many suggest he's been the undisputed best for the last two years.
The Brazilian's arrival at Liverpool in 2018 was very much welcomed considering the issues the club had experienced at that position with the likes of Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius.
He's exuded confidence, brilliance and just a sheer winning mentality as he's gone on to become Liverpool's greatest-ever goalkeeper, certainly if talent is the question. But today, the question is whether the Brazil international is the greatest goalkeeper in Premier League history.
He Surpasses His Competitors
The 30-year-old's competition for the title of the best in Premier League history is Peter Schmeichel and Petr Cech. While the likes of Edwin Van De Sar and David Seaman receive honourable mentions, most fans could agree that Alisson, Schmeichel and Cech are the top three in their history.
While the Danish keeper and the former Chelsea and Arsenal stopper have longevity on their side having played longer than Alisson, the Liverpool keeper is only 30 years old, which is relatively young for a keeper and needs to play just two more seasons to match Schmeichel's tenure at Manchester United.
The all-around ability of Alisson is unmatched by any other keeper in league history. No other goalkeeper has the full package of being elite in 1v1 scenarios, world-class handling and the ability to play out from the back - three attributes that the Brazilian star possesses in spades.
There are some who have one of those attributes not all three and certainly not to a level like Alisson. He's playing in a side that includes top-class talent like Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Trent Alexander-Arnold yet he's regularly mentioned as one of the best players in the team which is a compliment. I'm not sure fans understand the magnitude of that.
When was the last time you saw a goalkeeper being named among the top players in a squad that has reached three UEFA Champions League finals in five years? You don't, that's my point.
He Needs To Win More Trophies
While Alisson has talent on his hands, his trophy cabinet lets him down compared to the likes of Schmeichel and Cech.
The former Man United keeper won five Premier League titles in his eight years at the club as well as three FA Cups while Cech won four Premier League trophies whilst at Chelsea as well as three FA Cups and three League Cups.
Alisson has won one of each which ranks him down for some that place huge importance on silverware. However, Schmeichel and Cech surely didn't come up against a team like Pep Guardiola's Manchester City during their time in the league which may have resulted in a decrease of trophies won.
There's no doubt Alisson has the talent that ranks him as the greatest goalkeeper in Premier League history, it's just a question of him winning more silverware to put the debate out of sight.