Liverpool kept their Champions League qualification hopes alive with a dramatic 2-1 victory over West Brom on Sunday. The winning goal came in the 95th minute, when Alisson rose highest amid a crowded box to nod home and thus become the first keeper to score for the Reds in any competition in the club’s entire 129-year history.
It was an immensely emotional moment for Alisson, who celebrated with tears in his eyes before subsequently dedicating the goal to his father, who sadly passed away earlier this year.
The Brazil international also confirmed his initiation into a small and incredibly exclusive band of goalkeepers who have scored in Premier League games.
Including their latest arrival, the club only boasts six members — the half-dozen goalkeepers who have successfully found themselves on the scoresheet in the English top flight since 1992.
Alisson paid tribute to his late father after that incredible last-minute winner#WBALIV pic.twitter.com/vcG8uNdNQ3
— Premier League (@premierleague) May 16, 2021
Here’s how the Liverpool keeper’s last-gasp effort against the Baggies compares to those who came before.
It took almost a decade, but Schmeichel became the first goalkeeper to score in the Premier League when he netted a late consolation goal for Villa in a 3-2 defeat against Everton.
Trailing by two goals and with time running out, Villa launched a 90th-minute corner into the box only to find their veteran Danish keeper waiting at the far post to volley home.
Brad Friedel (Blackburn Rovers) vs Charlton Athletic, 2004
Friedel became the second keeper to score in the Premier League when he notched a 90th-minute equaliser against Charlton.
The United States international momentarily turned striker as he pounced on a loose ball inside the penalty area to level the game at 2-2, only to then concede an even later goal as the Addicks went on to win the match 3-2.
Goalkeeper Brad Friedel made 450 #PL appearances and scored 1️⃣ goal
👀 It came #OnThisDay in 2004 pic.twitter.com/2011PQTlJc
— Premier League (@premierleague) February 21, 2020
Paul Robinson (Tottenham) vs Watford, 2007
Robinson scored Spurs’ second goal of the afternoon as his side comfortably dispatched Watford 3-1 at White Hart Lane.
The goalkeeper launched a free kick from 10 yards outside his area only to see it somehow bounce over opposite number Ben Foster and into the corner of the Hornets net.
🗓️ #OnThisDay in 2007, @GKPaulRobinson did this… 😮#COYS pic.twitter.com/gQWAp72XOz
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) March 17, 2019
Tim Howard (Everton) vs Bolton Wanderers, 2012
Assisted by the wind, Howard’s enormous punt upfield went sailing the entire length of the Goodison Park pitch before bouncing up and over flailing Bolton goalkeeper Adam Bogdan.
Thankfully for Bogdan, Bolton held on to win 2-1 thus sparing his blushes somewhat.
Howard’s goal still ranks as one of the longest distance strikes scored in the Premier League after being measured at 95 yards.
Begovic earned himself a Guinness World Record when he scored for Stoke after just 14 seconds of their game against Southampton.
Simply seeking to clear the danger, he sent a forceful clearance up the pitch only to see it squeeze past Artur Boruc at the far end of the Britannia Stadium.
The swirling wind definitely played its part, but that didn’t stop Begovic from being officially credited with the world record for the longest goal ever scored (100.5 yards), and the fasted of the 2013-14 Premier League season.
However, the record for the longest goal was taken from him in January when Newport County keeper Tom King scored against Cheltenham from a truly incredible distance of 105 yards.
Alisson Becker (Liverpool) vs West Brom, 2021
Cometh the 95th minute, cometh the man as a leaping Alisson connected with a Trent Alexander-Arnold corner to become the first goalkeeper to score with a header in a Premier League game.
As well as winning the game in spectacular fashion, the goal also secured three vital points for the Reds as they continue to chase down a top-four finish.
Football eh. 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥.
Experience 5 minutes 33 seconds of unbridled joy with every angle of @Alissonbecker‘s goal… pic.twitter.com/QlgWJQ9QcA
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) May 16, 2021
Honourable mentions
Of course, outside the Premier League confines, many goalkeepers have managed to score goals over the years — some flukes, some spectacular, some making an impressive habit of it.
For instance, legendary former Sao Paulo stopper Rogerio Ceni was a penalty and free kick specialist and scored no less than 131 goals for the Brazilian club during his long and distinguished career.
Há 1️⃣4️⃣ anos, Rogério Ceni marcou esse belo gol de falta diante do Santa Cruz, pelo @Brasileirao – Danilo, Mineiro e Leandro Guerreiro completaram a goleada ⚽️
🇾🇪 São Paulo 4×0 Santa Cruz
🗓️ 29/04/2006
🏟️ Morumbi
🏆 Brasileirão📺 Premiere#MemóriaTricolor pic.twitter.com/DpdOpIiIve
— São Paulo FC (@SaoPauloFC) April 29, 2020
Paraguay goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert is another famed for his prowess in front of the opposing goal, also a penalty and free kick expert, even becoming the first goalie in recorded history to bag a hat trick during his time at Velez Sarsfield (three penalties against Ferro Carril Oeste in 1999).
2️⃣8️⃣⏺️1️⃣1️⃣⏺️9️⃣9️⃣ #Vélez goleó por 6 a 1 a @FerroOficial en el Amalfitani en un partido programado por la 16ª jornada del Apertura. Tres, de la media docena de goles, fueron convertidos por @JoseLChilavert_.
👨🏽💻 https://t.co/d7HgWOuXdx pic.twitter.com/BaYXy53dC7
— Vélez Sarsfield (@Velez) April 15, 2020
Carrying on the grand tradition of maverick South American goalies, Colombia’s Rene “Scorpion Kick” Higuita wasn’t to be outdone — scoring 41 competitive goals during his zany career.
Nothing I’ve ever experienced on this app will ever come close to the noise that greets this René Higuita goal pic.twitter.com/9HmLes9f4o
— Si Lloyd (@SmnLlyd5) July 18, 2020
Famed for his retina-troubling jerseys and eccentric approach to football, Mexico goalkeeper Jorge Campos was a frustrated striker who even swapped shirts and played up front from time to time.
March, 1996: Atlante are 1-0 down to Cruz Azul.
They bring on their substitute goalkeeper, Jorge Campos pulls on an outfield shirt to move up front and, with five minutes left, scores this.
It’s his only goal of the season. pic.twitter.com/ni3WkWCTuY
— Adam Hurrey (@FootballCliches) March 27, 2020
Carlisle goalkeeper Jimmy Glass scored one of the most famous goals in English football history when he kept his side in the Football League on the final day of the 1998-99 season.
ON THIS DAY 🗓️ 20 years ago
⏱️ Jimmy Glass. Scenes.pic.twitter.com/yNoTHNOsOr
— FourFourTwo (@FourFourTwo) May 8, 2019
Bayer Leverkusen stopper Hans-Jorg Butt scored 32 goals during his career but is most famous for getting caught out after dispatching a penalty against Schalke in 2004.
While Butt was casually trotting back to his own goal, a quick-thinking Mike Hanke sent a long lob over his head directly from kick-off.
1️⃣5️⃣ years ago today, Mike #Hanke did this 👇
A moment of pure genius 🧙♀️#s04 #OnThisDay pic.twitter.com/WG5rjTJsJG
— FC Schalke 04 (@s04_en) April 17, 2019
There’s definitely a lesson in there somewhere.
