Alisson Becker has been the guardian of the Reds’ goal for the last seven seasons. However, a hamstring injury has relegated him to the infirmary and put the Georgian in the starting XI.
Alisson Becker, the pre-injury baseline that banked points
Across August and September, Alisson started six Premier League games and two in the Champions League before being forced off against Galatasaray on September 30. In the league, the run produced five wins and one defeat (victories against Bournemouth, Newcastle, Arsenal, Burnley, and Everton; loss against Crystal Palace), with two clean sheets against Arsenal and Burnley. In Europe, he beat Atlético de Madrid 3-2 and then left the Galatasaray match injured, so he had no continental clean sheets before the layoff.
The injury itself wasn’t a big deal. Arne Slot confirmed afterwards that it was a hamstring injury; however, that has put him out until after the November international break. That context matters because it defines the comparison window between both keepers.
From a pure shot-stopping snapshot, public season-to-date models during that period had Alisson around break-even on goals prevented per 90 (roughly -0.08 PSxG-GA/90) with a middling save rate. Modest numbers without context, however, are alongside strong match outcomes. In other words, the baseline was stability and points on the board while Liverpool were still bedding in under Slot.
Giorgi Mamardashvili, the stand-in sample of big spikes and a learning curve
With Alisson out for two months, Mamardashvili had to make his first Premier League start at Stamford Bridge on October 4. Liverpool lost late in the debut of the Georgian. A week later, the same fate: Liverpool lost at Anfield against Manchester United, and the trend line didn’t immediately improve at Brentford. Those early weeks brought turbulence to a team that was rock solid with Becker defending the net. The rocky start of Mamardashvili’s stint as the starter made the bettors at highbet.co.uk doubt if Liverpool could keep up with Arsenal and Manchester City in the title fight.
The first clean rims arrived soon after, though. Mamardashvili posted his first Premier League clean sheet in a 2-0 win over Aston Villa on November 1, and three days later, he shut out a known rival as Real Madrid at Anfield in a statement 1-0 CL victory. That Madrid result is the kind of high-leverage night that moves opinion fast.
Even in defeat, he authored true “moments.” Away at Manchester City on November 9, Mamardashvili saved an Erling Haaland penalty at 0-0 before City pulled away late, proving his prowess as a penalty stopper. Those flashes have arrived alongside the expected adaptation bumps: for instance, his passing under pressure was scrutinised after the 3-2 loss at Brentford, where post-match data tracked a sub-60% completion rate while Liverpool struggled to play out, a rarity when Alisson was present. To add insult to injury, the former Valencia keeper received a total of 10 goals in the Premier League in his stint under the posts, against the 7 Becker received in the same number of matches.
Europe paints him in a calmer light. The Villa/Madrid clean sheets and the emphatic 5-1 win at Eintracht Frankfurt earlier in October, the Champions League sample has been productive, and UEFA’s tally shows two CL clean sheets already in his first weeks with the gloves. A bumpy domestic bedding-in, punctuated by one very loud penalty save and a marquee clean sheet against elite opposition.
What the comparison really says about 2025/26
Before the injury, Alisson’s numbers weren’t outstanding, but Liverpool won five of six league games with him and banked two clean sheets, the classic “high floor” Alisson is known for. The team’s pressing and structure were still settling, yet the baseline outcomes were strong enough to be in the title race.
However, during Mamardashvili’s tenure, there has been higher variance. A rocky league start, a difficult match against Manchester City, but two clean sheets against Villa and Real Madrid. The data-led read is that his shot-stopping ceiling shows up in spikes, while elements like distribution and starting positions are still being tuned to Slot’s system. In the short term, and with the circumstances he had to face, it was problematic, but the Georgian might be a great signing in the medium term and with more time to adapt.
The imminent inflection point is availability. Slot has been consistent: Alisson is due back after the international break, which might improve Liverpool’s numbers in the short-term, mainly in the domestic competition.
