Alexis Mac Allister admits Liverpool were “not at their best” in a gritty 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Sunday afternoon.
For Alexis Mac Allister, the word of the afternoon was “struggle.” It defined the VAR-induced anxiety of a disallowed goal, the physical grind of a leggy Liverpool midfield, and, most pointedly, the collective dip in a performance that threatened to leave Arne Slot’s Champions League ambitions in a heap at the City Ground.
But if the struggle was the story of the first 96 minutes, the 97th was about salvation.
Alexis Mac Allister doesn’t strike you as the gambling type, but at the City Ground on Sunday, he was the only man in a Liverpool shirt prepared to double down when the stakes were highest.
In a performance that will potentially be framed and hung on the walls of the AXA Training Centre indoor gym, it was the Argentine’s 97th-minute intervention that spared Arne Slot from another Nottingham nightmare.
With the Reds looking leggy and devoid of the spark usually provided by the sidelined Florian Wirtz, Mac Allister’s persistence proved the difference between a disastrous stalemate and a season-defining three points.
This was a result that defied four decades of frustration. But the historical significance was quickly eclipsed by the desperate needs of the present.
Following a second successive away win built on grit rather than glamour, there is now a growing belief that Slot can steer this side to the Champions League.
The VAR rollercoaster
The drama started well before the winner. Mac Allister thought he had broken the deadlock earlier in the second half, only for the Stockley Park spoilsports to intervene. A clearance from Ola Aina struck the midfielder’s arm judged a handball by the letter of the law, if not the spirit and the celebrations were cut short.
Speaking after the game, the World Cup winner admitted the modern game has sucked some of the joy out of the moment.
“Since VAR is there, you always struggle to celebrate too much because you never know,” Mac Allister said. “I thought it hit my chest, but they said it was my arm. It was a bit of a wait, but you have to stay focused. I knew I would get one more chance if I kept pushing.”
Persistence pays off
That chance eventually arrived deep into stoppage time. While the collective performance dipped highlighted by a staggering decline in creativity following Wirtz’s back injury Mac Allister’s individual numbers told a different story. He finished with an xG of 0.72, the highest on the pitch, narrowly eclipsing Forest’s Hugo Ekitike (0.71).
Despite the frustration of the disallowed goal and the general malaise of the Liverpool attack, the midfielder remained the coolest head in the stadium.
“I love scoring goals, but I love winning even more,” he told the media. “It was a very difficult afternoon, and we were not at our best, so to find the winner in the last minute of extra time is special for the team.”
Slot’s verdict
Arne Slot, who has seen talk of a contract extension cooled by a recent patchy run of form, was realistic about the display. The Dutchman appeared almost surprised to learn this was Mac Allister’s first league goal of the campaign, preferring to focus on the midfielder’s overall upward trajectory.
“I think what he [Mac Allister] needed is what he showed in the last six, seven, or eight games a run of games where he is getting back to his usual level that he showed so many times last season,” Slot noted.
The big picture
For Liverpool, the victory is a massive “get out of jail free” card. They move level in the race for the Top Four, and while the “sword” might still be hanging over Slot’s head regarding his long-term future, he can thank his number 10 for keeping the blade at bay for another week.
If the Reds are to navigate this “nightmare” period and secure Champions League football, they’ll need more of the steel Mac Allister showed in the 97th minute and perhaps a bit more of the style they lacked for the previous 96.
For now, the “struggle” Mac Allister cited post-match has been replaced by the relief of a job done.
