Mac Allister opens his account
Liverpool headed into the international break in style, securing a 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Sunday. Mac Allister set the tone early on, breaking the deadlock with a clinical header. His contribution was followed by goals from Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, ensuring the three points stayed with the visitors despite a late consolation penalty from Eddie Nketiah.
Reflecting on his first league goal of the campaign, Mac Allister expressed his delight at finding the net from a set-piece situation. "It feels good. It's the first one in the Premier League, but I scored twice in the Champions League and in another competition, so it's great to score, especially in a set-piece because it's something that I like. I think people and the coaching staff are realising I like it as well," the midfielder told BBC Sport, as quoted by the club's official website.
The Argentine international also touched upon the technical improvements the squad has made, specifically regarding dead-ball scenarios. He admitted that the team had learned from recent defensive lapses. "We do work [on them] and we know how important it is. The other day we lost a game where we conceded three set-pieces. Today we won it because we scored from it so we understand how important it is, especially in football nowadays and the Premier League is becoming more and more physical," he added.
Defensive resilience at Selhurst Park
Winning away in South London is rarely an easy task, and Mac Allister was quick to credit the defensive unit for standing firm against a determined Palace side. While the scoreline suggested a comfortable win, the midfielder noted that the match was a significant test of their resolve. He singled out the central defenders for their ability to withstand pressure throughout the afternoon.
"It was a difficult game. We know that when we come to Crystal Palace that it's always going to be a difficult game. They can play very good football but I think we defended the box quite well, especially our centre-backs, they were really, really good. But it was difficult. Sometimes we tried to press and it was not perfect, so they could come out from it and they created chances," Mac Allister explained.
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Alisson remains the difference maker
A key factor in Liverpool's success was once again the presence of Alisson Becker between the posts. The Brazilian goalkeeper produced several top-class saves to keep the hosts at bay during crucial moments. Mac Allister revealed that even the opposition players were left in disbelief by the quality of the Reds' number one, particularly after a spectacular stop in the first half.
"He's so good - especially the save from [Daichi] Kamada's shot [in the first half]. Kamada couldn't believe the save he made and he was telling me. But that's who he is - he is an amazing goalkeeper and an amazing guy as well. I'm really, really happy for him," the midfielder remarked.
Maintaining the standards
While the victory provides a boost heading into the break, Mac Allister is under no illusions that the team has reached its peak. He insisted that the squad must use the coming weeks to prepare for a demanding schedule, acknowledging that there is still plenty of room for tactical growth. For the 27-year-old, the focus remains on long-term consistency rather than just individual results.
"Definitely. It's really, really important. That was our goal, especially when you have an international break. It's really important to win so we are glad with the result but we have to keep improving because this is far from perfect," he concluded.