Alexis Mac Allister has praised Liverpool’s aggression after the Reds battled past an “intense” Tottenham Hotspur side to reach the Carabao Cup fourth round.
Liverpool secured a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Spurs at Anfield on Tuesday night, producing a determined performance to overcome their Premier League opponents.
Mac Allister played a key role in the victory, opening the scoring during the first half before Cody Gakpo doubled Liverpool’s advantage after the break.
Tottenham refused to disappear, with Conor Gallagher pulling one back to give the visitors hope.
But Liverpool eventually put the contest beyond doubt in spectacular fashion.
Dominik Szoboszlai produced a stunning strike in added time to seal a 3-1 win and send Liverpool through to the next round.
Mac Allister admitted Liverpool were not at their best during the closing stages, but believes their overall performance deserved the victory.
“I think we deserved it,” Mac Allister told ITV post-match.
“I think we had 20 to 25 minutes at the end that were not good – but we played against a very good team that knows what to do on the ball.
“They are very intense and we tried to be aggressive. I think we defended quite well and then we scored the goals, which is really important.”
The Argentine midfielder was also pleased to see Liverpool’s work on finishing produce results, with three different goalscorers contributing to the victory.
“We are practising a lot of shooting. Dom has it – it’s natural for him. For me, I was a bit lucky. I like getting in the box and scoring so it’s really important. It’s really important to score for our confidence and important to win because that’s what we wanted.”
Mac Allister also urged Liverpool to avoid reading too much into one result, pointing to the importance of maintaining consistency after an uneven run of performances.
“We need to understand that it’s only one game and if you look back and you see the games against Ipswich and Atletico, they were really good. Then against Fulham we couldn’t play the football we wanted. Now we need to make sure we are ready for the next game.”
The 27-year-old also spoke positively about his own form and his relationship with the Liverpool supporters.
“I’m feeling really good. I’m feeling the love from the fans, which is for me really important. As I said, I love being here and I will give my best.”
There was also plenty for Mac Allister to celebrate among Liverpool’s younger players.
Several youngsters were given an opportunity against Tottenham, and the midfielder believes their performance showed exactly why they can become important figures for the team.
“Definitely. It was really important for the young players. They show every single day in training that they want to be here. They work really, really hard and they have quality. I’m really happy for them because they deserve this in training.”
Mac Allister revealed that he takes a demanding approach when working with the younger players, explaining that his frustration comes from wanting to see them succeed.
“I focus quite a lot on them and I get angry. I think it’s part of me wanting them to succeed. As I said, they’re really good. They have quality, they are intense and they know what the club means. It’s important and they are going to be really important for us this season.”
Liverpool may have endured a difficult spell during the final stages against Tottenham, but they ultimately had enough quality and character to get over the line.
Mac Allister’s goal, Gakpo’s finish and Szoboszlai’s late rocket ensured the Reds avoided an upset and kept their Carabao Cup campaign alive.
Now, the focus shifts quickly to the next challenge, with Mac Allister making it clear that Liverpool cannot afford to become carried away by one impressive night at Anfield.
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