262: Between the Sticks #175

Goalkeepers' Union

What is a big save?
There be a question which commonly crops up when discussing goalkeeping. Is it the timing of the save? Is it the technique executed to make the save? Is it the magnitude of the game in which the save is made? Or is it just simply a big save?
Whichever criteria you plump for, there's no escaping a certain Alisson Becker fell into the big save category at St James' Park on Sunday afternoon. His stop from Miguel Almiron was, well, big in ensuring Liverpool remained in the clash with Newcastle which, as we now know, they went on to win.
Competing in that category with the Brazilian was West Ham's Alphonse Areola. Although within his imaginary "arc" (more of that on the show), the 30-year-old kept Brighton at bay with a string of fine stops to justify his inclusion as the Hammers' current No1.
In a weekend littered with Saves Galore (see Rich's Erik Thorstvedt reference) Jordan Pickford and Jose Sa pulled off worldies in Wolves' 1-0 triumph at Everton, Jak Alnwick continued an excellent start to the campaign for Cardiff and Swindon's Murphy Mahoney - on loan from QPR - kicked off his clean sheet tally with a first-ever career shutout.