Dominik Szoboszlai scored a stunning free-kick to earn Liverpool a 1-0 victory over Arsenal, and now fans have spotted Alisson‘s role in helping make it happen.
Szoboszlai has started the season playing like he has a point to prove after a statement summer by the club in the transfer window, with Sunday’s free-kick underlining his quality.
From precisely 32.3 yards, he clipped the upright and sent the ball into the back of the net to clinch an important 1-0 win over Arsenal – and all focus was, rightly, on his technique.
“I was like, ‘I’ll take the risk’. I was confident in myself, I tried it and finally [I’ve scored from a free-kick],” Szoboszlai reflected after the match.
But fans have now spotted the helping hand Alisson offered from the other end of the pitch, with the Brazilian filmed instructing Cody Gakpo and Florian Wirtz to move into David Raya’s eyeline:
Alisson directing Wirtz and Gakpo to block Raya’s view before Szoboszlai’s free kick. The little details we miss on the pitchpic.twitter.com/cTIFkND9eX
— Dom? (@footy_road) September 3, 2025
The Liverpool pair were standing behind Arsenal‘s three-man wall, and while Szoboszlai also offered some instruction, Alisson made sure he was seen with his arms up in the air to direct their movements.
It left Raya unable to see the ball until Szoboszlai had started his run-up, but even then, the Arsenal goalkeeper could get nowhere near it as the No. 8 placed it to perfection.
It is the small details and this awareness that make the difference, even if Raya did somewhat point the blame at the Premier League‘s new matchball after the swap from Nike to Puma.
“It’s a very good strike, especially with the new balls and everything,” he told Sky Sports. “We still have to adapt. It’s going away from me so it’s harder to gauge and save it.
“It’s different to the Nike ball so we have to adapt to it. The grip is different, the kick is different. We just have to adapt after playing with the Nike ball for many years.”