Harvey Elliott has been left in awe of Liverpool team-mate Alisson Becker and says he would “die” for the goalkeeper after his stunning display against Paris Saint-Germain
Harvey Elliott made the difference for Liverpool but believes Alisson contributed more (
Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Harvey Elliott has declared his unwavering loyalty to Alisson Becker, saying he would ‘die for’ the Liverpool shot-stopper following his remarkable performance against Paris Saint-Germain.
The Brazilian ace pulled off a string of fantastic saves to help the Reds clinch a 1-0 victory in the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie at the Parc des Princes last week. Elliott, who emerged as another hero in Paris by netting the game’s only goal shortly after being subbed on, was lauded by fans for his crucial late strike – even finding himself swamped by admirers during a trip to Sainsbury’s for toilet paper.
Despite the adulation, Elliott said that none of it would have been possible without Alisson‘s stellar showing in goal. As Liverpool gear up to welcome PSG to Anfield for Tuesday night’s second leg, the 21-year-old attacking midfielder expressed his awe at his teammate’s impact, insisting there’s no other goalkeeper in the world who could match Alisson’s current form.
Elliott’s comments represent a stark reality check for Liverpool-bound keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, who is currently on loan at Valencia after completing a £25million deal to join Arne Slot’s side from the La Liga team in the summer. Mamardashvili has admitted he is in poor form this season as Valencia are battling to avoid relegation, and will not face an easy task replacing Alisson when he arrives at Anfield.
Elliott hailed Alisson’s quality during a chat with ex-Manchester United and Wrexham keeper Ben Foster. “He’s the world’s best for me, and I think other people can see that as well,” he said in the interview for Amazon Prime Video.
“I don’t think at this moment in time that there’s a keeper out there that could keep us in the game so much. It was not only this game but there’s been so many others before where he’s made massive saves and played a massive part.
Harvey Elliott celebrates with Liverpool team mate Alisson Becker after the game against Paris Saint-Germain
“He played a part in the goal as well with his wonderful long ball. You want to die for him, because he puts his heart in the line for us.”
“There are so many saves where I look and think, ‘how on earth have you managed to save it?’ He’s unbelievable. He was doing all of these things and I felt like I needed to repay him. Even though I wasn’t on the pitch, I needed to repay him for everything and all the work that he’s done back there.”
He added: “I didn’t really want to get the highlight of that game. I wanted it to be Ali because we only won that game because of him. He got all the plaudits that he should have got, and hopefully he can keep saving us.”
Giorgi Mamardashvili has endured a more difficult season than expected ( Cristian Trujillo/Quality Sport Images)
Alisson’s performance saw him take home the official player of the match award after securing a record 22nd clean sheet in Europe for the Reds. On the night he pulled off nine saves – a record for a Liverpool goalkeeper in a single Champions League match since Opta started tracking the stats in 2003-04.
Slot will undoubtedly be keen for his team to capitalise on their slim lead as they aim to advance to the quarter-finals of the tournament. Meanwhile, Mamardashvili has owned up to his poor form at Valencia and said he plans to bounce back from it.
“I know I’m not in my best moment now, but I’m convinced that challenges make us stronger,” Mamardashvili posted on Instagram. He added: “I’m putting in my best effort to be the best version of me as soon as possible. Thank you very much, Mestalla, for the support!”
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