Steve McManaman insists Caoimhin Kelleher must now be considered as Alisson’s equal at Liverpool after witnessing his penalty save against Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe, while the Irishman has sent Manchester City a message ahead of Sunday’s game and revealed why he always knew he’d deny the Frenchman from 12 yards.
The Reds maintained their perfect Champions League record by recording a dominant 2-0 win at Anfield over the reigning European champions thanks to second-half goals by Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo. That result kept Liverpool top of the pile in the Champions League and ensures Arne Slot has now won an incredible 17 of his first 19 games in charge since stepping into the hotseat.
However, the real star of the show was Kelleher, who kept another clean sheet – his fifth in 10 appearances this season – crucially diving full length to deny Mbappe from scoring a penalty to equalise for Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
Speaking to TNT Sport, McManaman reckons he can no longer be considered a No.2 keeper and must be regarded as Alisson’s equal at Anfield.
“Kelleher is doing fantastic. Every time he is called upon, he stands up. He is an absolute superstar in his own right. He is not a number two. He is an equal number one. He is fantastic.”
Kelleher himself said he was always confident he would deny Mbappe.
“I don’t really look at the player too much,” Kelleher responded when asked what it was like to face Mbappe. “I felt confident. I’ve saved two in the last week or so; I was confident, and thankfully I went the right way again.”
On the win itself, Kelleher added: “It was a big result. It was a massive game for us. Obviously, they got the better of us the last few times against us in the Champions League. We wanted to come out tonight, put on a big performance, and the lads did really well.”
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Kelleher confident for Man City battle as Slot assesses goalkeeper situation
Kelleher has previously expressed his frustration that Liverpool boss Slot does not play him more, with the Dutchman revealing Alisson will return in goal as soon as he is fit enough and that their pecking order is “clear”.
“First of all, Alisson needs to become fit and I’ve always been quite clear and that’s always been the position of Alisson that he is, and will be, our first goalkeeper if he is fit,” Slot told a press conference earlier this month.
“Therefore he first needs to be it, but Caoimhin has done outstanding last season and this season again as well. But the moment Alisson will be fit he will be our first goalkeeper.”
As a result, Kelleher has made clear his wish to leave if his situation does not change, and while McManaman’s praise will give him encouragement, the fact his deal expires in 2026 means Liverpool could be left with little choice next summer, with the keeper keen to continue playing as a No.1.
In the meantime, Kelleher will likely keep his place on Sunday for the crucial Premier League game against Manchester City at Anfield. If the Reds can secure another win, they will have opened up a sizeable 11-point gap over the four-time defending champions already.
Speaking about the game, Kelleher added: “Confidence is high within the squad, but we know Man City haven’t been on the best run at the moment, but we’re expecting a really tough test, and it’s important that we keep winning in the league to keep that gap. Winning this is good confidence for the team, and we will try and go again.”
Latest Liverpool news: Bellingham comes clean on links as Ancelotti apologises over Trent
Meanwhile, Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham has opened up on suggestions over just how close he was to joining Liverpool prior to his move to the Bernabeu.
The England midfielder was on Liverpool’s wishlist last summer before they backed out owing to the costs and the fact that they needed, at the time, to sign more than one new midfielder.
But Bellingham, who has also discussed Real links to Trent Alexander-Arnold, insists the move was “not as close as people think”.
Ancelotti has also discussed Alexander-Arnold amid strong interest from the Spanish giants, though has simply apologised and admitted he cannot discuss the player owing to his Liverpool “respect”.
Elsewhere, Liverpool’s pursuit of Milos Kerkez is ON, while Manchester United won’t stand in the Reds’ way and TEAMtalk has learned how much the deal will cost.
Liverpool’s improved head to head record v Real Madrid
Liverpool Real Madrid head to head