One of the main reasons Liverpool currently sit top of the Premier League by four points is their incredible defensive record.

Jurgen Klopp’s side have conceded just 10 goals in their 21 league games so far, six fewer than the next best defensive side - Chelsea.

Of course, Virgil van Dijk’s £75 million arrival 12 months ago has played a major role in that.

But so too has goalkeeper Alisson.

Liverpool paid a world-record fee for a goalkeeper to sign the goalkeeper, splashing £67 million on the Brazilian - which was later trumped by Chelsea’s signing of Kepa.

But it already looks like money well spent for Liverpool.

Alisson has made some crucial saves and, barring his howler against Leicester early in the season, has been pretty much faultless.

Ironically, though, Liverpool may not have even made a move for Alisson last summer if it wasn’t for Loris Karius’ Champions League final nightmare.

Karius made two terrible mistakes in Kiev, resulting in Liverpool losing 3-1 to Real Madrid.

There was simply no way back for the German after that and Klopp moved to sign Alisson.

And Alisson has now spoken out about Karius’ awful night last May.

Of course, it was Liverpool that knocked out Alisson’s Roma in the semi-finals, winning 7-6 on aggregate after two incredible clashes.

And in an interview with FourFourTwo, Alisson revealed his feelings towards Karius after seeing those mistakes.

“Even when my team scores after a big mistake from the opposition keeper, it’s a different feeling for me. I don’t celebrate it like any other goal," Alisson admitted.

“I know what goes through the mind of a goalkeeper in those kind of moments. I was so sad to see what happened to Karius – it could have happened to anyone.”

Alisson is very much a member of the Goalkeepers’ union, it seems.

But the truth is, if Karius didn’t make those errors and Liverpool won the Champions League, Alisson may not be at Anfield right now.