Steven Gerrard was keen to praise one ‘outstanding’ Liverpool player on a ‘top performance’ in their 2-1 victory over Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night.
The build-up to the Champions League clash at Anfield was dominated by Alexis Mac Allister’s claims that he was ‘very sad’ at not being offered a new contract by the club in the summer and even had ‘options to leave’ Merseyside.
Tonight the Argentine midfielder made a statement on the pitch as he netted a jaw-dropping winner for the Reds early in the second half, lashing a 20-yard piledriver past Jan Oblak in the visitors’ goal.
Speaking on punditry duty for TNT Sports (via BBC Sport), Gerrard lauded Liverpool’s number 10 for delivering the decisive moment against Atletico less than 48 hours after his explosive comments about his contract situation.
The former Reds captain said of Mac Allister: “I thought his performance tonight was outstanding. Let your football do the talking. Consistency, top performance, show your experience. Show you’re a top international. This club will reward you.”
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The 27-year-old will have invited plenty of scrutiny after speaking so candidly on Tuesday, so it was crucial that he delivered a big performance for Liverpool tonight – and that’s exactly what he did.
His winning goal was a thing of beauty (Gerrard-esque, may we suggest?), and the full-blooded commitment that he showed in throwing himself into tackles immediately shot down any doubts there might have been about his honesty of effort amid the displeasure over his off-field affairs.
The figures below from Sofascore illustrate the endeavour that Mac Allister showed off the ball and also the quality that he can produce while in possession.
Had he not been booked in the first half, Andoni Iraola might well have kept him on the pitch for longer than 69 minutes, although the Argentine’s performance in this game will likely keep him in the starting XI for the visit of Fulham to Anfield on Saturday.
The Reds’ number 10 too often performed below his best last season, but more displays like the one he produced tonight should go a long way towards potentially convincing the Liverpool hierarchy to extend his contract in the next few months.
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