Arne Slot praises Alexis Mac Allister after Liverpool beat Southampton at Anfield | OneFootball

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has raved about Alexis Mac Allister after his side beat Southampton at Anfield in the Premier League on Saturday.

The Reds took another huge step towards winning the league title this season with a 3-1 comeback win against the Saints.

Will Smallbone put Southampton in the lead in first-half injury time, as the relegation-threatened side looked to cause a major upset at Anfield.

However, Liverpool launched a strong comeback in the second half and picked up all three points from the encounter after scoring three goals.

Darwin Nunez made it 1-1 for Liverpool six minutes into the second half.

Egyptian star Mohamed Salah made 2-1 for the home team from the penalty spot in the 54th minute.

Salah, who is out of contract at Liverpool at the end of the season and has yet to agree terms on a new deal, added a second goal to his tally in the 88th minute – once again from the penalty spot.

Liverpool have now picked up 70 points from 29 matches in the Premier League, while Arsenal are second with 54 points from 27 games.

While Salah will get the plaudits, Liverpool manager Slot has noted the impact that Mac Allister made in the second half.

The £35 million (BBC Sport) Argentina international midfielder replaced Dominik Szoboszlai at half time.

Slot told Liverpool’s official website about Mac Allister: “There’s a reason why Macca [Alexis Mac Allister] is a World Cup winner, because he shows up when you need him in terms of mentality and that’s also definitely what he brought in this second half.”

View: How Alexis Mac Allister played for Liverpool vs Southampton

Mac Allister is one of the best and most dynamic midfielders in the Liverpool team and is one of the first names on the teamsheet.

The 26-year-old has made 25 starts in the Premier League this season, and his performance in the second half against Southampton showed why Slot relies on him.

With a big game against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League to come next week, Slot did not include Mac Allister in the starting line-up against the Saints.

Mac Allister provided Liverpool with a lot more control in midfield in the second half than the Reds had in the opening 45 minutes.

The midfielder’s ability on the ball and to stay calm under pressure helped Liverpool become assertive and eventually win the game.