Alan Shearer praised Alexis Mac Allister for his sensational performance vs Brighton
Alan Shearer and Roy Keane have both agreed that Alexis Mac Allister played a key role in Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion.
Despite not getting on the scoresheet, the 25-year-old was Liverpool’s most creative force in the first half against his former club. He made the difference with a fine pass in for Mohammed Salah who netted the winner after Luis Diaz scored the Reds’ equaliser in the first half.
Mac Allister created the most chances of the match and ended up with a 92% pass accuracy. He now has 12 goal contributions this season, which is the joint-most from a Reds midfielder.
Speaking on Match of the Day, Shearer said: “Mac Allister was saying in the interview after the game that in the week, Salah was saying that he has to receive more passes from him. Boy did he deliver from that.
“The understanding from both of them, I mean Mac Allister no doubt was outstanding on the pitch, he was incredible. You can see as soon as he gets the ball, Salah is off, he’s making run and after after run, on the hope that he finds him.
“He certainly did that, wandering away from the defender and in behind. It’s a brilliant run and he picks him out, as soon as he picks his head he is off and the ball is delivered. Better touch and he is in again, he got in so many times and his finishing was poor today but the sign of a top striker is you keep going and eventually you get the goal.
“Everything that was good about Liverpool went through Mac Allister, his passing was superb, his confidence was unbelievable, the flicks and tricks. Another example was he hadn’t even moved the ball out of his feet there and Salah knows exactly what he wants, he wants the ball and he delivered.
“The little tricks and flicks and everything else, he’s driving his team forward on so many occasions there. He did ever so well down the right hand side for [Harvey] Elliott then Salah gets in the middle there and the keeper makes a wonderful save there with his right foot.
“Another great example, you talk about being available for your team mates, he doesn’t get it on the first run and this is what [Jurgen] Klopp said was wonderful about it, the players touching the ball around but he’s offering himself Mac Allister and he doesn’t get it until later on.
“He’s moving it around again and there are 14 passes in this move so [Dominik] Szoboszlai gets that ball and the first touch with his left foot to Salah and then his touch with his right foot. It puts it right onto his path to have that finish with his left foot.
“It was a sensational goal but the performance from Mac Allister in the middle there, what a signing he has been, he’s having a great season. £35million may be rising to “55m, he was absolutely sensational playing slightly higher up the pitch and those three points they got, Mo Salah got that goal but a lot of that was down to him.”
Keane was also left impressed by Mac Allister, telling Sky Sports: “Brilliant, brilliant pass, Mac Allister. He is a smart footballer, I’ll tell you that. I’m impressed with him and his decision-making. And again, like anything else when you just speed things up in the final third.
“He gets it here, the execution, the weight of the pass, the first touch from Salah – beautiful. Sexy football to me, this, love watching it.”
