The £35m Liverpool transfer decision that was vindicated after what happened vs Chelsea

Liverpool’s summer signing Alexis Mac Allister showcased a strong debut performance playing out of position during their 1-1 draw with Chelsea over the weekend.

The Argentinian arrived from Brighton following the best season of his career to date and has quickly settled after a long pre-season with his new teammates.

Tasked with covering Jurgen Klopp’s biggest issue right now - defensive midfield - Mac Allister was forced to play out of position slightly, by performing the role on his own. He often played deeper at Brighton under Roberto De Zerbi but he was usually accompanied by a midfield partner.

In this case, he was asked to play in the same role as Fabinho once did. The 24-year-old lined up with two players ahead of him who are predominantly attack-minded in Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo, which gave him a difficult task when coming up against the likes of Enzo Fernandez and Connor Gallagher.

Despite the glaring issues around him and the fact he is playing in a new side, in a new system and in a role that doesn’t truly suit him - Mac Allister produced a strong debut showing.

He completed 41 of his 47 passes, managed six long balls, 10 recoveries, won the most duels (seven), won the most tackles (two) and completed the most dribbles (two) - it was an all-round performance.

His best moment was no doubt the brilliant and direct ball he played for Mohamed Salah for his side’s opening goal. A pinpoint long ball was perfectly placed at Salah’s feet on the right-wing and the Egyptian controlled it expertly before firing in a brilliant assist for Luis Diaz.

As the game became more frantic and Chelsea took more control, Mac Allister became increasingly stretched - he needed support. In an ideal world, he would have been playing in a more advanced position, as he can affect the game in an attacking sense when given the opportunity.

But his defensive midfield role could certainly be used against lesser opposition or when Klopp feels his side will dominate the ball.

With time still left in the window, Liverpool need to secure a defensive midfield signing. Moises Caicedo has completed his move to Chelsea but a move for Romeo Lavia is still very much in the air - especially considering the Reds have just submitted a £60m bid for the young Belgian.