WEST BROMWICH, May 17: Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker scored a dramatic goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time to earn a 2-1 win over West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League on Sunday and keep alive his team’s realistic chances of qualifying for the Champions League.
Alisson came up for a corner and, unmarked, glanced home a header from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross before getting mobbed by teammates.
The Brazil international is the sixth goalkeeper to have scored a goal in Premier League history, the first with a header. None of the previous five was a winning goal.
Looking back at history, no Liverpool goalkeeper had previously scored a competitive goal. “I saw it coming — I just tried to be in a good position to try to help my team,” Alisson said.
“Nobody follows me. I was lucky and blessed. Nobody can explain these types of things.” The 28-year-old Alisson admitted that it was the first time in his career that he had scored a goal.
It was delivered with perfect technique, too. “What a goal, what a worldie, an unbelievable goal,” Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said.
Mohamed Salah’s 33rd-minute goal for Liverpool — his 22nd of the campaign, tying for the most with Tottenham’s Harry Kane — had canceled out the opener by Hal Robson-Kanu in the 15th at The Hawthorns. Liverpool is in fifth place on 63 points, with games remaining against Burnley and Crystal Palace.
Everton’s slim hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League were extinguished on Sunday by a 1-0 loss to last-place Sheffield United, the team’s latest dreadful home result in the Premier League.
Daniel Jebbison, a 17-year-old striker making his senior professional debut, scored the winner for already-relegated United in the seventh minute in the driving rain at Goodison Park. Everton has won just five of its 18 games at home and stay in eight place.
Manchester City have already clinched the 2020 Premier League title. (AP)
