Goalkeeper Alisson Becker fought back tears as he was the unlikely goalscoring hero for Liverpool in a 2-1 Premier League victory at West Bromwich Albion on Sunday that keeps alive their Champions League qualification hopes.
With the scores level and the visitors on the brink of dropping vital points, Alisson headed home from a corner in the fifth minute of stoppage time, the maiden goal of his career and the first ever by a Liverpool keeper in the club's history.
"I just tried to run into a good place and to be in a good position to help my team mates by bringing a defender with me. But nobody followed me and I was lucky and blessed to score," Alisson told SkySports.
He added it was only a late decision by goalkeeping coach John Achterberg that meant he went up for the corner.
"I looked at the bench but nobody called me, and then Johnny Achterberg called me up with conviction. The cross was brilliant and I just tried to put my head on the ball," Alisson said.
"I think it was one of the best goals I saw! You cannot explain these things, this is football."
The Brazilian usually only practises defensive headers in training, but was delighted to be given a chance at the other end of the pitch.
"Sometimes in the training, you are just waiting and you are trying to have some fun. I don’t train to do that in the game. But I have at least a sense of how to head the ball because I do that a lot in the games to help defensively," he said.
Alisson has endured a difficult time this season due to injury and lost his father Jose in a tragic drowning incident in February.
"I am too emotional. These last months, for everything that happened with me and my family. But football is my life. I played since I remember with my father. I hope he was here to see it and I'm sure he is celebrating with God by his side," he said.
Liverpool have moved to within a point of fourth-placed Chelsea, and three behind Leicester City with those two sides to meet on Tuesday.
West Brom manager Sam Allardyce said a refereeing "blunder" and a dubious Video Assistant Referee (VAR) decision were to blame for his side's defeat.
Allardyce was unhappy with Mike Dean's decision to award Liverpool a free-kick after the referee had collided with Fabinho, and also questioned why VAR had cancelled out Kyle Bartley's goal when he was onside.
"We didn't need the officials or VAR to go against us and they've gone against us on two occasions and it's the main reason why we've lost this game," Allardyce said.
"The referee should give a drop ball, not a free-kick. That's a complete blunder as far as the rules go."
Bartley looked as if he had put West Brom back in front after Hal Robson-Kanu's early opener was cancelled out by Mo Salah.
He netted from close range following a corner but while he was onside team mate Matt Phillips was adjudged to be standing in the eyeline of Alisson and was ruled offside.
"The biggest blow that we got was the second goal we scored being disallowed," added Allardyce. "I thought it was a perfectly good goal with no interference whatsoever. It needed to stay as a goal.
"The lad who scored the goal was miles onside and the lad who was offside was nowhere near the ball."
- Reuters
Emotional Alisson the unlikely goalscoring hero for Liverpool
Image: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
Goalkeeper Alisson Becker fought back tears as he was the unlikely goalscoring hero for Liverpool in a 2-1 Premier League victory at West Bromwich Albion on Sunday that keeps alive their Champions League qualification hopes.
With the scores level and the visitors on the brink of dropping vital points, Alisson headed home from a corner in the fifth minute of stoppage time, the maiden goal of his career and the first ever by a Liverpool keeper in the club's history.
"I just tried to run into a good place and to be in a good position to help my team mates by bringing a defender with me. But nobody followed me and I was lucky and blessed to score," Alisson told SkySports.
He added it was only a late decision by goalkeeping coach John Achterberg that meant he went up for the corner.
"I looked at the bench but nobody called me, and then Johnny Achterberg called me up with conviction. The cross was brilliant and I just tried to put my head on the ball," Alisson said.
"I think it was one of the best goals I saw! You cannot explain these things, this is football."
The Brazilian usually only practises defensive headers in training, but was delighted to be given a chance at the other end of the pitch.
"Sometimes in the training, you are just waiting and you are trying to have some fun. I don’t train to do that in the game. But I have at least a sense of how to head the ball because I do that a lot in the games to help defensively," he said.
Alisson has endured a difficult time this season due to injury and lost his father Jose in a tragic drowning incident in February.
"I am too emotional. These last months, for everything that happened with me and my family. But football is my life. I played since I remember with my father. I hope he was here to see it and I'm sure he is celebrating with God by his side," he said.
Liverpool have moved to within a point of fourth-placed Chelsea, and three behind Leicester City with those two sides to meet on Tuesday.
West Brom manager Sam Allardyce said a refereeing "blunder" and a dubious Video Assistant Referee (VAR) decision were to blame for his side's defeat.
Allardyce was unhappy with Mike Dean's decision to award Liverpool a free-kick after the referee had collided with Fabinho, and also questioned why VAR had cancelled out Kyle Bartley's goal when he was onside.
"We didn't need the officials or VAR to go against us and they've gone against us on two occasions and it's the main reason why we've lost this game," Allardyce said.
"The referee should give a drop ball, not a free-kick. That's a complete blunder as far as the rules go."
Bartley looked as if he had put West Brom back in front after Hal Robson-Kanu's early opener was cancelled out by Mo Salah.
He netted from close range following a corner but while he was onside team mate Matt Phillips was adjudged to be standing in the eyeline of Alisson and was ruled offside.
"The biggest blow that we got was the second goal we scored being disallowed," added Allardyce. "I thought it was a perfectly good goal with no interference whatsoever. It needed to stay as a goal.
"The lad who scored the goal was miles onside and the lad who was offside was nowhere near the ball."
- Reuters
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