Home » Aaron Ramsdale and Alisson Becker compared following the PFA Team of the Year omission.
Alisson Becker was conspicuously absent from the Premier League Team of the Year announcement made by the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) on Tuesday evening.
The best starting XI from the previous season is announced at the end of each season during a ceremony attended by players from every team in the top division who have had the opportunity to vote on who has been the best in each position throughout the calendar year.
Due to Jurgen Klopp’s team’s brilliance, Liverpool has had their fair share of inclusions recently; however, following a forgettable 2022–23 season, the Reds understandably received far fewer votes.
The majority of the chosen XI appear accurate, though there is always room for disagreement. With five players, including PFA Players’ Player of the Year Erling Haaland, champion Manchester City is clearly the team with the most representation.
Harry Kane and Kieran Trippier were chosen after outstanding seasons, and Arsenal also received favorable coverage for their involvement in the title race (even though it was abandoned at the end of the season).
The 2018 PFA Premier League Team!
“John Stones.”.
Willie Saliba.
🔵 Rodri.
Martin Oagdaard.
⚪️ @HKane.
Erling Haaland is @ErlingHaaland.
pic at twitter.com/Tidh91ASlk.
On August 29, 2023, the Professional Footballers’ Association (@PFA) tweeted this.
One could contend that Bukayo Saka, the Young Player of the Year winner, should not be on the team instead of Mohamed Salah. In addition to recording an additional assist, the Egyptian outperformed the Englishman in terms of goals scored and assists, scoring five more goals overall. However, given the circumstances surrounding Arsenal’s season, supporters may (grudgingly) accept this choice.
Aaron Ramsdale’s selection over Alisson, however, is perplexing Liverpool supporters (and, in fact, many fans across the nation).
Everyone agrees that Ramsdale was brilliant last season and made some outstanding saves. But while the Englishman was merely a cog in a well-oiled machine, Alisson was by far Liverpool’s best player and occasionally helped them move up the table.
Aaron Ramsdale vs. Alisson: a comparison for 2022–23.
If we start with the overall stats from last season, both players jointly finished second among goalkeepers in the league with 14 clean sheets kept. Alisson, on the other hand, did so in a defense that was struggling and a midfield that was in desperate need of a makeover, whereas Ramsdale did so in one of the best teams all season.
Additionally, Ramsdale had 108 saves to Liverpool’s Brazilian’s 108 (13 more), one of which came from a penalty.
Additionally, the Arsenal player made two mistakes that resulted in goals in 2022–2023 as opposed to Alisson’s (you guessed it) zero.
And it becomes obvious that Alisson outperforms Arsenal’s top player when you dive deeper.
In the 2022–23 Premier League season, Alisson gave up 43 goals (excluding own goals and penalties), but more significantly, he single-handedly prevented Liverpool from giving up 10.1 goals. This figure is calculated by subtracting the Brazilian’s goals conceded from the expected goals after shots that he faced.
This places him in the 97th percentile among his contemporaries in the top five football leagues and European competitions, an amazing accomplishment that undoubtedly helped Liverpool move up the table.
Despite Ramsdale giving up 43 goals from open play, excluding own goals, his post-shot expected goals are much higher than Alisson’s.
The Englishman actually cost Arsenal two goals over the course of the season based on the caliber of shots he faced, placing him in only the 35th percentile among Europe’s top five leagues and European competitions.
Thus, despite a startling 12 point difference between the two players in terms of the number of goals they prevented for their respective teams, Ramsdale was chosen as the division’s top goalkeeper.
The PFA TOTY inclusion of Ramsdale is by far the most contentious, and supporters are voicing their opinions online.
Like: pic.twitter.com/PfXVwCpVGw Ramsdale is included there.
— 17 (@DxBruyne17), August 29, 2023.
It’s absurd that Ramsdale beat Alisson to the title of best goalkeeper last year.
We would have finished eleventh without Ali.
Without Ramsdale, Arsenal might have won the league. Image source: JLa7Km6HxY on Twitter.
— Liam, August 29, 2023 (@LiamMLFC).
One of the most stupid things I have ever seen is Aaron Ramsdale being chosen as the Premier League Player of the Year over Alisson or Leno.
Completely absurd.
See https://t.co/dxBrF24fPD.
29 August 2023: Garrett Post (@ParrettGost).
There isn’t an Arsenal supporter in the world who wouldn’t swap Alisson for Ramsdale and 80 million right away, in my opinion.
Your hand would be snatched off by Arteta for that without a doubt.
— John O’Sullivan (@Corballyred), 29 August 2023.
Regardless of the metric you use to measure the season, it appears that Liverpool’s top player had a significantly better one and deserved to be chosen for the best XI.
Some of the saves Alisson makes on a weekly basis are incredible, even if you disregard all the statistics and make your decision solely based on appearance. Consider the amazing save made last week against Miguel Almiron. “One of the best I’ve ever seen,” said Eddie Howe of Almiron’s volley’s reflex stop. “.
Although the results of the voting were already decided before that particular miracle stop, Liverpool supporters are used to seeing events like this every week.
Whatever the Premier League may think, Alisson is still arguably Liverpool’s most crucial player right now and the best goalkeeper in the world.
Additionally, he has the best beard in the industry. Surely there must be a prize for that?
For more updates, we are at your service all day long and all night.
