Yesterday felt like a big day in the title race as Liverpool returned to the top of the Premier League table.
The Reds went into the day knowing that they had the chance to really put the pressure on Arsenal and Manchester City – who played each other later on Sunday.
And despite falling behind to an early Danny Welbeck goal, Liverpool didn’t panic. They came back into it, controlled the game and eventually got their rewards.
There were a number of top performers for the Reds. Mohamed Salah broke a personal record on his way to bagging the winner, while Jurgen Klopp was quick to point out the importance of Dominik Szoboszlai after the match.
But without question, Liverpool’s man of the match was Alexis Mac Allister. Playing against his former club, Mac Allister ran the show. His delightful assist to set up Salah for the decisive second goal was pure artistry. It was so good that it even caught the eye of a certain Jordan Henderson.
Jordan Henderson praises Alexis Mac Allister
Henderson and Mac Allister never actually got to play together for Liverpool. It would be wrong to say that the Argentine was the former captain’s replacement, though.
Back when Macca was signed in June Henderson was still at the club. And while it had seemingly been planned for a while that the 25-year-old would join, Hendo’s departure came as a shock. Nevertheless, although they did train together, they never took to the field on the same team.
That hasn’t stopped Henderson from recognising just how good Mac Allister has been for Liverpool mind you.
The Reds No.10 took to Instagram after yesterday’s win to share some photos from his exceptional display against the Seagulls.
One of those to show his appreciation was Henderson. It was a simple comment from the Ajax man, but it summed it all up nicely. The 33-year-old posted a wand emoji to signify a magical performance from Mac Allister.
From one captain to the next, Virgil van Dijk was equally impressed. The Dutchman posted a hearts in eyes emoji, while Curtis Jones went with two flames. Macca deserves every bit of praise he gets.
How good was Mac Allister vs Brighton
It’s perhaps not an over exaggeration to say that Liverpool would not have won yesterday’s game had it not been for Mac Allister.
Although they controlled the game against Brighton, too many players had off days. Salah did eventually get his goal, but his performance was largely erratic, especially in the final third. Van Dijk was not quite at his commanding best while Darwin Nunez could barely get into the game at all. So, with others around him floundering, Mac Allister had to step up.
Step up he certainly did. The World Cup winner showed composure, quality and endless desire to dominate the whole midfield. Even Roberto De Zerbi was impressed.
It shouldn’t be a surprise, Macca has been brilliant for a while now. But this might just have been his best display yet.