Alexis Mac Allister is the Premier League's best midfielder right now

Alexis Mac Allister is just going around and completing football at this point. 

For the first half of the season, despite the narrative, he was one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League. However, because he wasn’t scoring or assisting, he wasn’t getting the credit his performances truly deserved.

He was winning his duels, making key tackles and keeping play ticking over as the anchor in the midfield. You might not have liked it but you can’t dispute that it was successful, with the Reds vying for a place at the top of the table.

READ MORE: Liverpool 3-1 Sheffield United - Player Ratings

He was a press-resistant cheat code at the base of the midfield and his ability in possession gave Liverpool an added threat at times. Ahead of Liverpool’s trip to the Etihad earlier in the season, Jurgen Klopp spoke openly about his No. 10 when asked about his suitability as a defensive midfielder.

“I understand that from the outside world it is always about how is a player in this position. but in the end it is all about how the whole team is set up,” the manager said.

“Is Macca a natural-born six? No. Did football develop in the last years in directions we couldn’t imagine before? Yes. Does that mean that a player like Macca can play the six. Definitely.

“It depends on how the whole team defends. Easy as that. If we do that properly then we have an incredible player in a central position who can find passes, a forward-thinking player.

“Do you want a player there who is just knocking players down and when we are in possession he thinks ‘not my job, give me a break’? I like him there a lot to be honest and we as a team can benefit a lot from it if we make sure we have a really compact formation.”

A few things happened to force Mac Allister into a more advanced role. A combination of injuries to others and the form of Wataru Endo meant the World Cup winner was moved from his No. 6 role and redeployed as a No. 8.

In the blink of an eye, he went from being one of the best defensive midfielders in the English top-flight to being one of the best attacking midfielders.

Goalscoring form

The former Brighton maestro has five goals and five assists in his last nine starts for the Reds. He’s scored against Manchester United and Manchester City while assisting match-winning moments against Nottingham Forest and Brentford. His unbelievable finish against Sheffield United last night have the Reds the lead in a game that was threatening to turn into a frustrating night for the title hopefuls. He took on the responsibility and found the top corner with just 15 minutes remaining to fire Liverpool back to the top of the Premier League table.

Now, the versatile midfielder is seeing less of the ball but doing more with it in the final phase. This has allowed him to score more goals, create more chances and shoulder more of the attacking burden. It is a role he seems to thrive in.

Who is really surprised? He was instrumental in Argentina winning the World Cup. This is clearly a player who wants to be a key figure for whatever team he’s turning out for.

You can tell he’s enjoying his football too.

Speaking to TNT Sports post-match, Mac Allister was asked if his effort against Sheffield United bettered his one earlier in the season versus Fulham. “I don’t know… we were discussing that! Both of them were very good,” replied the Argentinian. “The most important thing is it helped to win the game and that’s so important. Against Fulham they told me it was lucky, so I had to prove them wrong!”

After the victory over Sheffield United, Klopp, once again, heaped praise on his No. 10, saying: “We needed Macca’s wonder goal to turn it around It is obvious, he is a super important player for us. After the game he said thank you, I said gracias. Hola as well with my Spanish. Wonderful player, wonderful boy and really happy for Liverpool we got him.”

Liverpool's Mr. Versatile

The way in which Mac Allister has seamlessly adapted to a more attacking role is quite ominous for rivals.

He looks at home wherever he’s deployed on the pitch and this gives Liverpool, and Klopp, a number of options heading into the final few weeks of the season. The No. 10 is just as happy to pull the strings from deeper parts of the pitch and provide the ammunition to the attackers as he is to be the man making the impact himself in the final third.

The Reds have a number of versatile players within their ranks but Mac Allister might actually be the most important one. He can be the destroyer, the creator in chief or the match-winner. Wherever he’s used, he’s the difference-maker.

He's the best in the Premier League right now.