Jurgen Klopp said he was glad Alisson committed a howler as Liverpool were making their best start to a league season since 1990-91 because that should help the goalkeeper avoid a more costly repeat.
The Brazilian gifted Leicester a lifeline on Saturday when he tried a Cruyff turn on the byline after Virgil Van Dijk’s back pass, only to give the ball to Kelechi Iheanacho, who crossed for Rachid Ghezzal to score.
First-half goals from Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino had put the Premier League leaders on the course and they ultimately secured a hard-fought 2-1 win at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.
“It needed to happen so that it will not happen again if that makes sense? I think that day was today,” Liverpool manager Klopp said.
“No goalkeeper in the world should dribble in that situation. If Alisson would have cleared it with his first touch, everything would have been fine, but for some reason, he didn’t.
“But I said to him that this was the best game to do it in because we still won.
“We have ticked that box now. As a team we’re still in that period where we have to adapt to each other.
“Last week he did what he did and when everybody spoke about it, it was clear one day we would concede a goal because of that.”
Klopp refuses to accept that Alisson’s desire to take risks on the ball means the close-season signing from Roma has a style of goalkeeping that will cause problems.
“No. It’s only a positive that he’s that good a footballer but we have to learn to use him in the right way,” he said.
“That means pass the ball, yes, but at the right moment, but immediately make an offer to him, open some passing options, whatever.”
Liverpool’s fourth straight league win saw them maintain their perfect start to the season.
The way they started the game, they bore the look of champions, not just leaders.
Kasper Schmeichel, making his 300th appearance for Leicester after signing a new contract in midweek, saved his side within the first three minutes.
Moment of fortune
Mohamed Salah put Firmino through but he could only fire against Schmeichel’s legs, and from the rebound, Salah side-footed wide.
Mane benefitted from a ricochet off Harry Maguire from Andrew Robertson’s cross to give the Reds a 10th-minute lead, driving home left-footed.
But if that was a moment of fortune, then there was no mistaking some of Liverpool’s play, which was a delight as they carved Leicester open at will early on.
Liverpool doubled their lead two minutes before half-time.
Salah forced Schmeichel to push his shot around the post, and from their second successive corner, Firmino met James Milner’s flag-kick with a firm header from 10 yards.
But Leicester came back strongly after the break, and, after Joe Gomez blocked James Maddison’s goal-bound effort, Wes Morgan failed to sort his feet out from point-blank range.
Leicester’s persistence was rewarded in the 63rd minute when they deservedly pulled a goal back thanks to Alisson’s mistake.
It was the first goal Liverpool had conceded in 418 minutes of Premier League football going back to May 6 and the first Alisson had allowed in club football since last season’s Champions League semi-final when he was playing for Roma, against Liverpool.
Leicester boss Claude Puel was non-committal about whether they had targeted Alisson’s tendency to dally on the ball.
“We try to watch the opponents’ game of course. Now we will keep this (in mind) for the away game,” he said.
AFP
