Iraola's midfield has regained its aggression and intensity just in time for Sunday’s visit of Arsenal to Anfield.

Alexis Mac Allister was in a strong position to pressure Liverpool over a new contract before Atlético Madrid’s visit to Anfield last month, though only in the physical sense of being on stage to preview the game before a large audience. In reality, the 27-year-old’s negotiating position was relatively weak. And to the Argentina international’s credit, he has kept his word by shifting the narrative in his favor ever since.

As the past two Premier League champions prepare to meet at Anfield on Sunday, when Liverpool can cut Arsenal’s lead to three points with a fourth consecutive home win across all competitions, Mac Allister’s performance highlights the impressive progress of Andoni Iraola’s side. He has become an essential component of Liverpool’s central midfield, to such an extent that, just seven weeks after that attention-grabbing Champions League press conference, it is not only Mac Allister who believes he deserves a contract extension. For fans tracking team progress, checking the football history score of past matches shows how pivotal his contributions have been.