Gerrard singles out Mac Allister after Atlético win

Liverpool needed to come from behind against Atlético Madrid at Anfield on 9 September, and it was Mac Allister who dragged them there. The Argentine controlled midfield for long spells, dictated the tempo Arne Slot's side needed, and then finished the job himself with a second-half goal curled in from just outside the penalty area.

Steven Gerrard, never a man to hand out praise lightly when it comes to Anfield midfielders, singled out Mac Allister publicly, describing his display as 'outstanding', according to CaughtOffside. Gerrard spent a decade in that same midfield role for Liverpool, including the 2005 Champions League run that went through nights like this one.

A midfielder finding another level

Mac Allister has spent the past year being talked about as a reliable, tidy presence in Liverpool's engine room. What he produced against Atlético was something sharper: a World Cup winner imposing himself on a Champions League-calibre opponent, then deciding the game with his feet rather than just his positioning.

The goal itself, left foot, edge of the box, is the kind of finish that suggests confidence rather than luck. Scoring it in a comeback against a club with Atlético's pedigree in these fixtures only sharpens the point.

Why the timing matters

Liverpool sit sixth in the Premier League after three games, still finding their rhythm under Slot. Beating Atlético from behind at Anfield gives Slot a result to point to, one that came against a side who reached the Champions League semi-finals as recently as 2024.

Gerrard's words won't change anything about the table, but they do add to the narrative building around Mac Allister this season: a player Liverpool increasingly look to when games need deciding.