Giorgi Mamardashvili proves why Liverpool signed him after ‘unbelievable’ moment vs Aston Villa
Giorgi Mamardashvili’s performance for Liverpool in their game against Aston Villa on Saturday was a sight to behold.
The Georgian was officially signed by Liverpool last season, but since he spent the campaign on loan to Valencia, the 2025-26 summer window was when he properly joined.
His transfer came after Caoimhin Kelleher chose to exit Anfield to become the first-choice ‘keeper for another team.
Photo By Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty ImagesJoin our newsletter for news & smart analysis.
And, although questions have been asked about whether Mamardashvili is better than Kelleher, one of the saves he produced against the Villans proved that it was the right move for Liverpool.
Throughout most of Liverpool’s 2-0 win against the Villans, Mamardashvili was one of Arne Slot’s top performers.
The goalkeeper made several saves throughout the clash, which, if he hadn’t done so, could have easily ended up with Unai Emery’s men taking the lead.
However, his save against Matty Cash was the best of all.
The Villa right-back bolted his way down the right-hand side of the pitch and, even though his shot looked like it was meant to be a cross, the way that it curved towards the net sent it straight towards the top corner.
Indeed, the ball did deflect off Virgil van Dijk’s thigh, but fortunately, Mamardashvili was positioned well enough to stop the ball from going into the net.
This save resulted in TNT Sports commentator Lucy Ward being left in awe of the Georgian.
“Wow. I mean that is end-to-end stuff,” she said in quotes relayed by BBC Sport.
“Unbelievable save from Mamardashvili. Villa only need to get past the press once.”
Giorgi Mamardashvili looks like an upgrade on Caoimhin Kelleher for Liverpool
There’s no denying that Kelleher was an impressive ‘keeper for Liverpool.
Not only has he proven his talent while playing for Brentford this season, but he also more than proved his worth when put between Liverpool’s sticks.
His penalty-saving abilities are second-to-none, with the Irishman often single-handedly rescuing the Reds when called upon.
However, since Mamardashvili has had to fill in for Alisson over the last few weeks, his quality has also begun to show, with the former Valencia man looking like a decent upgrade on Kelleher.
Mamardashvili is also just 25 years old, which means that he has plenty of time to become even better.
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
If he can continue playing to this level for the rest of the season, the Georgian could even end up causing problems for Alisson in the future.
Slot made a bold decision to spend over £450 million in the summer, but, of all the signings he made, Mamardashvili looks like an astute piece of business.
