The Argentine playmaker Alexis Mac Allister, who joined Liverpool in the summer, has been winning accolades for his performances since the beginning of the season. On Thursday night, after he scored a spectacular goal into the top corner to put the Reds ahead against Sheffield United 3-1 at Anfield, manager Jurgen Klopp was the latest to laud his abilities. “He is a really good player,” Klopp remarked. “In the first half he was playing six, but we knew we could move him slightly higher. Then he scores this kind of goal. The two biggest screamers of the season have come from him.
And the free-kick just after that was crazy. What a role model. The Reds needed to reply to Manchester City’s 4-1 thrashing of Aston Villa and Arsenal’s 2-0 success over Luton 24 hours earlier, as they were locked in a three-way contest for the crown. Additionally, Klopp’s team struggled early on. In the seventeenth minute, United goalkeeper Ivo Grbic gave them a gift goal when he smashed a simple clearance against the charging Darwin Nunez, causing the ball to ricochet into the open net. However, the home team was unable to build on their lead during the first half. Afterwards, after 58 minutes, Gustavo Hamer’s header from the back post deflected in off Conor Bradley for an own goal, bringing the Premier League’s worst team level. When the hour comes, the Mac does too. Using a 25-yard projectile With 13 minutes remaining, Mac Allister fired a shot into the upper corner that brought back memories of Vincent Kompany’s title-deciding goal for Manchester City against Leicester in 2019 and Steven Gerrard’s Champions League stunner against Olympiacos in 2004. Shortly after, he came dangerously close to adding a second with a strong, swerving, albeit somewhat diverted, free kick from a similar distance, but his effort crashed back off the crossbar. With a header in the ninetieth minute, Cody Gakpo secured the victory and kept Liverpool atop the standings, two points ahead of Arsenal and three above City, ahead of their trip to face Manchester United on Sunday. However, Mac Allister emerged from the match with the most credit once more.
It is amazing how little Mac Allister cost when he signed from Brighton last summer, especially in light of his incredible individual performances this season. Mac Allister may yet end up with multiple winners’ medals as the Reds look to add the Premier League and Europa League to the Carabao Cup they have already won. The going rate for a sought-after central midfielder in the current transfer market is upwards of £100m, judging by Chelsea’s moves for Mac Allister’s international colleague Enzo Fernandez and former south coast partner in crime Moises Caicedo, as well as Arsenal’s club-record acquisition of Declan Rice.