Who is better – Alisson or Ederson?

26/02/21 2651

Who is better – Alisson or Ederson? Well, that is a very good question. Of course, different people have different opinions on the matter. But is one goalkeeper actually better than the other?

There is no denying that the Brazilians are the best goalkeepers in the Premier League. Ederson has shone for Man City since 2017, while Alisson transformed Liverpool’s backline in 2018.

Let’s take a look at the strength and weaknesses of both goalkeepers and assess their statistics since arriving in the Premier League.

• Alisson’s strengths and weaknesses

Alisson joined Liverpool from Roma for £65 million back in July 2018, becoming the second-most expensive goalkeeper of all time – behind Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Since then, the 28-year-old has made 115 appearances in all competitions for the Reds, conceding 93 goals and keeping 52 clean sheets.

That means that Alisson has conceded 0.81 goals per game so far during his Liverpool career, while boasting a clean-sheet percentage of 45%.

Alisson’s main strengths include his shot stopping, the manner with which he commands his penalty area, his passing range and his distribution.

In fairness, Alisson doesn’t have too many weaknesses. His decision making has occasionally been called into question over the years, but he rarely makes a mistake.

On the whole, the Liverpool man is almost faultless in every department, making him one of the best goalkeepers on the planet.

• Ederson’s strengths and weaknesses

Ederson arrived in England a year earlier than Alisson, joining Manchester City from Benfica for a then world-record fee of £34.7 million.

The 27-year-old has made a total of 174 appearances since arriving at the Etihad Stadium, keeping 89 clean sheets and conceding 126 goals.

Ederson’s stats are slightly superior to Alisson’s. His goals-conceded-per-game average currently stands at 0.72, while his clean sheet percentage is 51%.

Like Alisson, Ederson is a dominating presence in the box, although it could be argued that he is slightly less commanding than Alisson.

However, the Man City man is undoubtedly better at passing than Alisson. In fact, Ederson even has two Premier League assists to his name.

You could argue that Ederson has played behind a tighter defence than Alisson during his time in England, but you can’t take anything away from his quality.

• The verdict

Ultimately, it is difficult to say if Alisson is better than Ederson, or vice versa. After all, both goalkeepers are operating at the peak of their powers for two of the biggest clubs in the world.

Liverpool fans will tell you that Alisson is a better all-round goalkeeper, while Man City supporters will probably tell you that Ederson has more to his game.

It is worth noting that Alisson has generally been Brazil’s number one in recent years. The Liverpool man has 44 international caps under his belt, while the Man City shot stopper only has 7.

But at the end of the day, it's probably best that we just enjoy both goalkeepers while they’re playing at the very top of their game.