How many Premier League points have Alisson Becker’s crucial saves earned Liverpool this season?

The Reds keeper denied Danny Ings a late equaliser in midweek and has proved decisive in several games this season.
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Alisson has long been considered one of the best goalkeepers in world football and a vital part of the Liverpool team.

The Brazilian has been everpresent as the Reds chase Manchester City down for the Premier League title, and his contributions as the last line of defence have been invaluable.

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Tuesday evening’s 2-1 win at Aston Villa proved once again how reliable the former Roma stopper is when called upon, denying Danny Ings late on as the Villa striker ran through on goal.

Goalkeeping analyst John Harrison pointed out in April that Alisson had saved almost eight more 1v1 situations than the expected goals model predicted.

And there have been many games throughout the season when the Reds man has denied opponents clear goalscoring chances.

There have been several key games in which the 29-year-old’s presence has directly won Liverpool points in the Premier League title race, but how many points have they actually been worth?

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To help assess the Brazilian’s key saves, we have taken a look at something called Post-Shot Expected Goals, which basically rates the likelihood of a goalkeeper saving a shot based on where it would have ended up in the net. It produces a

Key performances from Allison

Tottenham (A) - 19/12/2021

Liverpool’s 2-2 draw at Spurs will be remembered mainly for the controversial refereeing of Paul Tierney, who failed to send off Harry Kane for a dangerous tackle on Andy Robertson before dismissing the Reds left-back for a challenge on Emerson Royale.

It could have been much worse for Liverpool had it not been for Alisson, who got the feintest but most vital touch on Dele Alli’s shot at 1-0, before smothering Kane as the England striker stood free on the penalty spot at 1-1.

Spurs racked up a post-shot expected goals (PSxG) total of 3.0 against Liverpool that day, with Alisson denying at least one more goal and securing a vital point.

Crystal Palace (A) - 23/01/2022

Alisson smothers Jean-Philippe Mateta to help Liverpool on their way to a 3-1 win at Selhurst Park Alisson smothers Jean-Philippe Mateta to help Liverpool on their way to a 3-1 win at Selhurst Park
Alisson smothers Jean-Philippe Mateta to help Liverpool on their way to a 3-1 win at Selhurst Park
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The 3-1 scoreline painted a picture of a comfortable win but Liverpool’s trip to Crystal Palace was far from easy, with the Reds keeper pulling off a string of fine saves.

He twice denied Palace with Liverpool 2-0 up - first from Michael Olise’s shot before reacting quickly to smother Odsonne Edouard’s backheel - before an outstanding save to deny Olise at 2-1, backpedalling quickly before clawing the ball to safety and crashing into the post.

Patrick Viera’s side produced a post-shot expected goals total of 3.0 in this game, backing the heroics of the Reds keeper who denied what should have been two more goals.

Had Palace equalised at either of those points and it coud have been a different game with the momentum shifting, with the home side side likely to have taken at least a point - another two points gained from Alisson.

Burnley (A) - 13/02/2022

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Fabinho’s scrappy goal from a corner gave Liverpool a vital 1-0 win at Turf Moor in February, but the trip to Burnley was also the game in which Alisson made the most saves this season: five.

Most notable was the Brazilian’s efforts to deny Jay Rodriguez at 0-0 in the first-half, while a string of long-range stops in the second-half kept the Clarets at bay.

Burnley racked up a PSxG total of 0.7, which suggests they could well have scored from one of their chances had it not been for Alisson. A draw would have been a terrible result for Liverpool, with two more points gained by the keeper.

Aston Villa (A) - 10/05/2022

Alisson smothered Aston Villa striker Danny Ings late on to keep Liverpool ahead and secure three crucial points Alisson smothered Aston Villa striker Danny Ings late on to keep Liverpool ahead and secure three crucial points
Alisson smothered Aston Villa striker Danny Ings late on to keep Liverpool ahead and secure three crucial points

Tuesday evening’s win at Aston Villa was far from easy, with the Reds having to bounce back from an early Douglas Luiz goal to claim three points and move to the top of the table.

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But at 2-1 and late into the second-half, Villa striker Ings was played clean through on goal with a great chance to equalise.

Had it not been for Alisson’s trademark 1v1 smother, Ings may well have found the space to slot home - levelling the game and ending Liverpool’s realistic title hopes.

Villa’s post-shot expected goals on Tuesday was only 1.1, but to deny Ings was a crucial save from the Brazillian and two points gained as a result.

Without those seven points Liverpool would have been out of the title race already.

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However, there have been numerous other big moments from Reds keeper in situations that could have swung a game that might not be boren out by PSxG.

Three saves at Leeds United to keep a clean sheet despite a PSxG total of 1.5 for example, or, three saves to deny Southampton an avenue into the game as Liverpool won 4-0 at Anfield.

The maximum number of points gained is likely to be significantly higher than seven higlighted by PSxG, with Alisson’s quality in 1v1 situations and composure when sweeping behind a high-line the foundation on which the entire team can press high up the pitch with confidence.