This season, the number of goals conceded due to Alexis Mac Allister’s individual mistakes has risen significantly, hampering Liverpool’s efforts to secure a top-five Premier League finish and Champions League qualification.
The decline in midfield quality is the main reason for Liverpool’s lack of control in matches, with Mac Allister’s form the most worrying. The player who was so crucial to the club’s title success last season is now struggling with the basic skills that once made him so effective.
Last season, even without spectacular goals or defence-splitting assists, Mac Allister acted as a solid defensive shield, tracking opposition runs, closing spaces and making key interceptions. Alongside Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai, he formed one of the world’s best midfield units.
However, Mac Allister’s drop in form has been stark. His defensive numbers have plummeted across most metrics this season. He is making fewer interceptions and tackles, winning fewer duels, and regaining possession far less often in the final third than last term.
Minor niggles have plagued Mac Allister since Liverpool’s title win, leaving him with a disrupted pre-season. He returned to training later than expected and has spent months playing catch-up.
Consistency has proven elusive. Like the team as a whole, his campaign has been stop-start. It is impossible to ignore his reduced intensity off the ball and less efficient movement without possession, leaving him easier to bypass in midfield.
Former Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant, now a pundit, labelled Mac Allister a “passenger” during Liverpool’s defeat to Manchester City and questioned: “What has happened to his legs?”
Interestingly, the statistics contradict visual observations in this regard. Mac Allister’s average distance covered per game this season (10.98km) is almost identical to last season (10.95km), while he is making more sprints (10.23 per game, up from 9.91). His attitude and commitment are unquestionable, even if it did not appear so in key moments last Sunday.
Fatigue would be understandable given his heavy schedule in recent years. His position on the left of midfield is physically demanding, and while he is comfortable dropping to receive the ball, he feels more suited to playing with the protection of a number-six midfielder.
The 27-year-old has made 39 appearances for club and country already this season and has barely had a break in the past four years. His involvement in the World Cup and Copa América has placed huge demands on him, first at Brighton and now at Liverpool.
International trips to Argentina are also physically draining, involving long travel and short recovery periods. In Jürgen Klopp’s final season in charge, Mac Allister looked jaded after an international break and was substituted at half-time against Wolves. Klopp admitted the midfielder was “relieved” to come off.
Mac Allister may simply need a proper rest, but such an opportunity looks unlikely this year with the World Cup approaching. Furthermore, Liverpool have limited midfield options beyond Curtis Jones, as Arne Slot is reluctant to use Wataru Endó and Trey Nyoni together.
Meanwhile, Szoboszlai has had to fill in at right-back due to several injuries in the squad.
The absence of some key team-mates from last season may also have contributed to Mac Allister’s slump. He formed a strong understanding on and off the pitch with Luis Díaz and Darwin Núñez. New arrivals may help him rediscover his best form, but change is clearly needed after a prolonged period of inconsistency.
Even so, Mac Allister retains an excellent reputation. He is set to be a key part of Argentina’s squad as they look to defend their World Cup title this summer, and Real Madrid remain interested in him. The Spanish club have long admired Mac Allister;
Liverpool feared Madrid would hijack the deal from Brighton in June 2023, prompting them to complete the transfer quickly.
It remains to be seen whether this adds to his future uncertainty. Mac Allister’s contract runs until 2028, when he will be 29.
If Liverpool were to sell him, this summer might be the most financially astute option – much like the sale of Luis Díaz in July 2025, when the 28-year-old Colombian still had two years left on his deal.
There is currently no indication Liverpool are open to selling Mac Allister, and the player’s father Carlos said in an interview last week that his son is “totally focused on Liverpool and the season. He is very happy and settled at the club.”
