In a world where his former midfield partner Moises Caicedo went to Chelsea for £115million and Argentina colleague Enzo Fernandez moved to the same club for a mega £107m, Alexis Mac Allister at a paltry £35m could be the signing of the season.
He might not get the headlines of Mohamed Salah or front up Manhattan billboards alongside basketball icon LeBron James like Virgil van Dijk, but the Argentine is the magician driving Liverpool’s quest for a record-matching 20th English league title.
This was the fifth Liverpool match in a row where his metronomical midfield displays have yielded a goal or assist, starting with that 99th-minute defence-spliting pass at Nottingham Forest and ending here with a similar eye-of-the-needle assist for Mohamed Salah.
Until then, his old team were going toe to toe with Liverpool. Maybe not in terms of shots or chances created, but there were times when Brighton caused waves of anxiety to take over Anfield in a match that was dubbed by some as an audition for Roberto De Zerbi.
But by the end, every single punter in the stadium was toasting to Mac Allister, be it the Kop giving him a rousing ovation or those in the away end who still adore him. The feeling is reciprocated, with the Argentine making a point to go over to the Albion faithful at full time.
Alexis Mac Allister produced a virtuoso performance against his former club on Saturday
Mohamed Salah (centre) scored the second-half winner that moved Liverpool top of the table
The Egyptian had a string of opportunities on what was otherwise a frustrating afternoon in front of goal
The Kop erupted after a clinical passing move put the Reds star into score against Brighton
De Zerbi said before the match that Mac Allister was a ‘special guy’ for the way he handled his Amex Stadium exit, before firing an indirect dig at ‘others who did not’ – cough, Caicedo, cough – with Jurgen Klopp also hailing him as a ‘difference maker’.
And he was just that here, with a lovely caressed pass into the path of Salah to score the winning goal. That was one of 12 shots for Salah on a day where he could have easily racked up a hat-trick.
If this was De Zerbi’s audition for one of the elite jobs in Europe, perhaps even Liverpool, it was certainly not a failure. His team were brave, energetic and, with a bit more luck, could have left Anfield with a point despite the fact the Reds racked up 30 shots.
The Italian patrolled his technical area like a man possessed at times, kicking every ball and flailing his arms around in a way that made Pep Guardiola look calm. He charged down the touchline when Brighton scored but, by the end, was on his knees as chances went begging.
Indeed, though the clocks went forward overnight, the early stages of this match were like harking back to last season. Brighton were at their exhilarating, slick best with heavy-metal counter-attacking football, while Liverpool looked weak in defence.
Klopp admitted on Friday that even top teams like his Reds side had to alter their system to play against De Zerbi’s ‘different and unique’ style of play. That was the case here, with the Merseysiders’ average position map representing more of a 2-4-4 shape.
It made for a fascinating, cat-and-mouse battle as the two managers tried to outthink each other. Brighton’s bravery meant they allowed Liverpool 14 first-half shots but had expanses of space to exploit in return, and one of those moments led to their early goal.
Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi (right) is one of the leading candidates to succeed Jurgen Klopp at Anfield this summer
Danny Welbeck stunned the home fans with a fierce drive into the Liverpool top corner after only two minutes had been played
It was the former Manchester United forward’s third goal against Liverpool in 23 games
Mac Allister’s superb pass opened up space in the box for Salah to score Liverpool’s winner
The space in behind Liverpool’s defence was exploited with clinical nature with less than 90 seconds on the clock, as a zapping attack down Brighton’s left saw Simon Adingra get the best of Conor Bradley and tee up Danny Welbeck for a thumping finish to put Albion ahead.
But Liverpool have made a theme of fighting from behind in games this season, with 23 points already won from losing positions in the league before this match. They soon started to rack up chance after chance without seriously troubling Bart Verbruggen.
And they finally found the golden touch after 27 minutes to pull level through Luis Diaz, though the goal was rather scrappy. It came after Brighton failed to clear their lines and Salah headed a ball back into Diaz’s path, via Joel Veltman, with the Colombian poking it in while stretching.
Liverpool could have been home, hosed and tucked up on the sofa ready for Manchester City versus Arsenal if they had any clinicality about them. Salah had seven of Liverpool’s 14 first-half shots as the Egyptian looked close to full match sharpness again after a long-term injury.
This was his first Premier League start since New Year’s Day, with Salah asking to sit out of Egypt’s international camp over the recent break from club football. Instead, he stayed on Merseyside for daily gym work.
But though he looked at his best once again physically, he was perhaps a bit off colour in front of goal and could have easily bagged a hat-trick. It says a lot, then, that Liverpool’s talisman still left this match with a goal and assist despite hints of rustiness with his end product.
Luis Diaz pounced onto a loose ball after Brighton failed to clear a Liverpool corner and steered in his effort on the stretch
The Colombian has recorded seven goal contributions in his last eight Premier League appearances
Klopp’s side sit two points clear at the top of the table after Arsenal and Man City’s 0-0 draw
It was Salah who fired the Reds ahead after 65 minutes after a lovely team move with two of Liverpool’s summer signings at the heart of it. Dominik Szoboszlai fired a drilled pass to Mac Allister, then the Argentine cushioned it through to Salah to pass into the far corner.
With a bittersweet tone, De Zerbi hailed Mac Allister after the game and said: ‘He became a great player. The assist was incredible. I am proud of him. He deserves to be an important player in a big team.’
He is definitely that. As far as summer signings go, few have had a bigger contribution than Mac Allister. He is building a trophy room at his new abode in the north west, and kisses his World Cup medal every day. If he continues these performances, the room will need more shelves.
