Much has been made this season of the contributions of the likes of Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool’s quadruple bid.
They have undoubtedly been great, but it is unsung hero Alexis Mac Allister who deserves the praise now. Liverpool paid just an initial £35million, rising to £55million, to Brighton for Mac Allister in the summer as part of their much-needed midfield overhaul.
Initially, Mac Allister was overshadowed by Dominik Szoboszlai and then Wataru Endo, but there is no doubt he has been the pick of their midfielders in 2024. The World Cup winner has stepped up in the last few weeks, when Liverpool have needed him most as they grappled with an injury crisis, and has bagged three goals and four assists in his last seven games.
They have all been big performances, from his great goal at Brentford to his two assists and man-of-the-match display against Luton, when he turned the game.
Sunday against Manchester City was Mac Allister’s latest five-star display and he displayed nerves of steel as he waited what seemed like an age before dispatching his penalty. That spot-kick highlighted his performance and he helped Liverpool boss the midfield in the second half against the world’s best team.
Jurgen Klopp's approach with Robert Lewandowski bodes well for Darwin Nunez
It says it all that Pep Guardiola had to withdraw Kevin De Bruyne and bring on Mateo Kovacic because he felt the Croat could press better under Liverpool’s relentless pressure.
Mac Allister is turning into a real gem for Liverpool. His ability was beyond question and he showed how good he is at the World Cup and for Brighton.
But he also has the tenacious, demanding personality Liverpool want. His dad Carlos played alongside Diego Maradona 30 years ago in Argentina with Boca Juniors and is always demanding more from his son.
Mac Allister scored the all-important equaliser against Man CityMac Allister knows this and is always analysing his game to see what he can do better. He is not happy to go home after games and enjoy being a top-class footballer, he wants to improve.
Perhaps because of his football pedigree, he has a football brain. Jurgen Klopp used him in the No 6 role while Endo was away at the Asian Cup with Japan and he anchored their midfield well.
But he has really flourished for the Reds in the more-advanced No 8 position. Mac Allister loves to attack, score goals and create chances and he can do this as he has shown over the last seven games.
He also likes a tackle and is a cross between a Tiger Tank and a Rolls Royce in Liverpool’s midfield. He’s approaching his best years at 25 and Liverpool can look forward to further development from their World Cup winner.
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