Alexis Mac Allister: Liverpool midfielder praised by Roy Keane

Alexis Mac Allister had Roy Keane purring about Liverpool's "sexy football" with his slick assist for Mohamed Salah's winner against Brighton on Sunday. Impressing the former Man Utd captain while wearing a Liverpool shirt is not easy to do but Mac Allister is irresistible right now.

Across his last five games for Liverpool he has either scored or assisted a goal - he did both in the 5-1 thrashing of Sparta Prague - and his player-of-the-match performance against his former club at Anfield over the weekend was symbolic of his rising status. His penalty-kick equaliser against Man City could be decisive in the title race.

Mac Allister has caught the eye throughout the campaign since his £55m move from the south coast last summer, but he is due credit for doing so in two different roles for Jurgen Klopp's side.

Keane described him as a "smart footballer" and his tactical flexibility - on top of his technical skills - makes him a real asset for the Reds.

He began the season in an unfamiliar holding role. That had never been the masterplan - he was signed at the start of June on the back of his playmaking and attacking metrics at Brighton, which had seen him score 10 times in the Premier League last season.

But, at the end of July, offers from Saudi Arabia came in for Fabinho and Jordan Henderson and Mac Allister had to adapt. "It was clearly not the idea. But things changed," said Mac Allister recently. "At the beginning of the season, we didn't have a proper No 6 so I had to do the job. Jurgen likes it. So I try to do my best and it's all about helping the team."

He has certainly done that. Mac Allister's impressive performance away at Man City was a rebuttal to critics who suggested his defensive skills would struggle against