Press conferenceArne Slot explains what makes Alexis Mac Allister 'even more special' as a player

The gifted midfielder has appeared in 33 of Liverpool's 34 Premier League fixtures on the way to the title and earned a nomination for the competition's latest Player of the Month award.

During his pre-Chelsea press conference on Friday, Slot listed the elite traits of the 2023 arrival from Brighton & Hove Albion to explain why he is such a mainstay in the team.

The head coach said: "I don't think he is underrated by me because he played maybe every game or close to every game.

"Maybe the few times he didn't play that was because he needed rest or he got a knock, so he couldn't play.

"[He's a] very important player, [has] game intelligence [and is] so comfortable on the ball.

"But what makes him even more special to me is normally players that have so much game inside and are so comfortable on the ball are not as aggressive and intense without the ball.

"He is one of the few players in the world that combines this great game intelligence, great on the ball, but [with] a tenacity without the ball. In our midfield, he stands out in terms of tenacity."