Rio Ferdinand has praised Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson for his dramatic stoppage-time winner against West Brom on Sunday which kept their hopes of reaching the top four intact.
With the scores level at 1-1 following first-half goals from Hal Robson-Kanu and Mohamed Salah, the Reds looked set to be held to a draw at the Hawthorns, until an unlikely hero came along.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s corner in the 95th minute of the game found the head of Alisson, who nodded in expertly to give his side a 2-1 victory.
It was the first time in the club’s history that a goalkeeper has scored a competitive goal, and an emotional Alisson gave a heartbreaking post-match interview as he dedicated the winner to his late father Jose, who tragically drowned near his home in Brazil in February.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, Leicester City chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha was pictured clutching the FA Cup after the Foxes’ win over Chelsea – 30 months after his father Vichai passed away in the tragic helicopter crash at the King Power Stadium.
And former Manchester United defender Ferdinand described the two moments as ‘very emotional’.
He told Vibe with FIVE: ‘It’s emotional watching that, for the owner of Leicester who lost his father not long ago and also for Alisson, to see those two moments definitely very emotional, very moving. You see what it means to those people.
‘Alisson to come up and do what he’s done, I don’t think a Liverpool goalkeeper has ever scored and he goes and does that.
‘The timing was magnificent, late like it was, it was just like, ‘wow’.
‘You see goalkeepers going up all the time you think, ‘what are you doing?’, but this time he bangs it home.’
The win at West Brom took Liverpool to within a point of fourth-placed Chelsea with just two games to go – against Burnley and Crystal Palace.
The Blues, meanwhile, face third-placed Leicester in a crunch clash on Tuesday before playing Aston Villa on Sunday.
Leicester, who are currently two points ahead of the Blues, take on Tottenham on the final day of the season.
But Ferdinand is backing Liverpool to get the job done and secure their place in next season’s Champions League.
‘Yeah – I think they will [finish in the top four],’ he added.
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