Liverpool were thankful to their midfield on Wednesday as they cruised to a 2-0 win over Newcastle.
The Reds looked in command from the very first whistle at Anfield, ultimately moving 13 points ahead of second-placed Arsenal.
Dominik Szoboszlai was crucial again, the Hungarian opening the scoring after just 11 minutes before putting in another outstanding display.
Szoboszlai was picked out for praise against Man City at the weekend and continued his fine form at Anfield on Wednesday.
However, he was not the only member of the Liverpool midfield to find the net against Newcastle. Alexis Mac Allister put the cherry on top of another win with just under half an hour to play.
And speaking after the game, former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez was keen to praise both Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch for the job they did against Newcastle.
Rafa Benitez hails Liverpool midfield pair
Szoboszlai has taken the headlines once again after yet another lung-busting performance for Liverpool.
But Mac Allister was equally as good on Wednesday, keeping things ticking along and grabbing an excellent finish himself.
Of the three, Gravenberch was the quietest, with the Dutchman showing more signs that he has just played a little too much football recently.
Still, speaking to TNT Sports post-match, Benitez insisted that Gravenberch’s job as a deep-lying midfielder is so crucial to what Liverpool do, even harking back to his former patroller Xabi Alonso.
“Xabi Alonso was a different kind of midfielder, but Gravenberch has come in and is working so hard in those areas, giving confidence and freedom to the others and Mac Allister is doing the same,” said the Spaniard.
“These players are crucial for coaches, they give confidence to the rest of the team.”
Alexis Mac Allister right up there with Xabi Alonso
Liverpool look very likely to go on and win the Premier League title in May. 13 points with 10 games to go is an enormous gap.
If they do, there are a number of members of this Liverpool squad who will reach new status at the club virtually overnight.
One of those is likely to be Mac Allister, who has been so good throughout his time at Anfield.
In 2024/25, the Argentine has stepped things up another level to become one of the very best midfielders in world footballers.
Alonso was indeed a different player, and until Mac Allister wins a European Cup he may not reach the Spaniard’s level at Anfield. But in our opinion, he’s already damn near close to it. What a player.
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