When Alexis Mac Allister signed for Liverpool in June, he would probably not have been expecting to be fielded as the deepest-lying Reds midfielder. Jürgen Klopp would not have been anticipating that either.

A few games into the new season, though, Mac Allister has established himself as the first choice in that role. In between his arrival and today, Liverpool lost both Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, missed out on Moisés Caicedo and Roméo Lavia, and signed an uncharacteristic addition in 30-year-old Wataru Endō.

In addition to Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai being perfect for Klopp's new-look midfield in the more advanced roles, Mac Allister has become the man playing as the number six, orchestrating what is going on ahead of him — at least when he has not been jetlagged.

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While the Argentine is better higher up the pitch, he certainly has the skill set to play deeper. In fact, against the teams that caused Liverpool the most issues that season, Mac Allister is an ideal fix.

Last year, Liverpool dropped 31 points against teams that finished below it in the table, and lost its unbeaten home record against Leeds United, a side that went on to finish second-bottom.

Previously, it was a given that the Reds would win almost all of the games they were expected to. Do that and Champions League football will be more than secured; more likely, a league title push is imminent.

Where Liverpool was unable to control matches last year and got caught on the counter-attack as a result, this year, Mac Allister, Jones and Szoboszlai have demonstrated the ability to exert a supreme level of control when everything is working as intended.

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Last season, Liverpool's midfield, including Henderson and Fabinho, was not secure enough in possession to ensure that it could cover up its lack of mobility. Only when Jones became a constant in the team toward the end of the campaign did that change.

This time around, even though Mac Allister is not the most physical or fast player out there, just as Fabinho and co were not last season, it is not mattering so much. The prime example of control was in the Anfield win over Aston Villa, a team that could, if allowed, be very dangerous on the counter, but it has been evident in other games (including West Ham) as well.

Liverpool won matches against Manchester City, Spurs and Manchester United, among others last season. The results that hurt its progress were draws with Fulham and Crystal Palace to begin the campaign, for instance, or defeats to Nottingham Forest, Leeds, Bournemouth and Brentford. The defeats at Wolves and Brighton were particularly dismal.

This year, while there is a long way still to go, Liverpool has shown that its midfield is capable of dominating. Mac Allister's role is not the one he came in expecting to play, but it has proven vital. In the absence of a player like Caicedo, the World Cup winner will be there to stay.

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On Sunday, Liverpool got its first taste this season of a Thursday/Sunday turnaround as it took on West Ham in the Premier League.

The Reds had taken on LASK in Austria in their Europa League group stage opener in midweek, running out 3-1 victors, before flying back to Merseyside.

That would have given Jürgen Klopp just two training sessions ahead of the clash with the Hammers, one of which would likely have focused on recovery for those who had been involved in Linz.

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The Reds can expect to be faced with this challenge plenty of times this season after qualifying for UEFA's secondary club competition rather than the Champions League.

The hope will be that, with Klopp likely to make plenty of changes in the Europa League, Liverpool's key players remain physically and mentally fresh for the domestic encounters.

But one concern in this regard might be that, during the Reds' best campaigns, they've often seemed to rely on the rhythm afforded by playing three high-intensity games per week. Time will tell, then, if it's a blessing or a curse.

Here are the latest Liverpool.com stories that you can't afford to miss.

Roberto Firmino 'fuming' at Sadio Mané

Roberto Firmino was left unimpressed by former Liverpool teammate Sadio Mané as the pair went head-to-head in Saudi Arabia a few days ago. The pair came up against each other for the first time since leaving Liverpool as Mané’s Al-Nassr beat Firmino’s Al-Ahli 4-3. Cristiano Ronaldo netted a brace.

Firmino wasn’t too happy with his teammates after they fell 3-1 down just before half-time, with video footage from the game showing him furious with his side. And his mood wouldn’t have been improved by Mané celebrating the goal by jumping on Firmino’s back. In videos of the game, the Brazilian did not look too pleased.

James Findlater has the story in full if you click here.

David Moyes makes 'fed up' Liverpool admission

Former Everton manager David Moyes has admitted that he is 'fed up' of coming away from Anfield on the losing side having now taken on the Reds 19 times in the stadium without winning.

"We had done a pretty good job in the first half, but in the second half, I was disappointed with the second goal," Moyes said during his post-match press conference (via the ECHO).

"We created a few [chances] in the first half, and we were already under pressure as well, but lots of positives to take from the game. I think when you come here, and I have been here so many times... I actually think we played quite well today and did a lot of good things."

Read the full quotes from the West Ham boss by clicking here.

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Since the first day in which Darwin Núñez set foot on English shores, he has been a threatening weapon for Liverpool to use, and a nightmare for opposition defenses. The Uruguayan striker is rapid, intense and physical, and he is a magnet for chances, having attracted a countless number of opportunities to score over the past 12 months.

Núñez arrived for a potential transfer fee of $106m (£86m/€100m) with Jürgen Klopp willing to spend the large majority of his summer budget on the South American striker in 2022. He would change the way in which Liverpool attacked in the final third, but upon inspection of his output, he seemed to be worth the investment.

Indeed, Manchester United legend Gary Neville recently described him as a 'handful' in his podcast, also stating that he would choose to play against Núñez last if he had the choice of facing him, Diogo Jota or Cody Gakpo as a defender. Nobody would question how menacing the 24-year-old can be at the business end of the field, but there is a reason he didn't start many games last season.

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Overall, despite what he offered in an offensive sense, Núñez had to improve his presence on the defensive side of the game, as he contributed to Liverpool suddenly getting cut open on a regular basis last term, with Klopp's aging midfield department — which was revitalized this summer — also to blame.

He was labeled a 'racehorse' by his boss after his team's clash with Fulham earlier this year, and not in a good way. "Defending the center against Fulham is really important because João Palhinha is there and he is a connector, but [Núñez] was like a racehorse," said Klopp. "Go, go, go for everybody. We opened up and that is why we struggled slightly. Apart from that, he played a really good game."

His words offered an insight into what the Uruguayan international had to work on, with his competition for the number nine spot Gakpo praised for his defensive efforts. "He is a super footballer and a smart person," said Klopp (via the Mirror). "I never for a second thought that he was only 24. He eats football, each information we give him is so natural for him to put it on the pitch."

He later sent an indirect message to Núñez using the media, stating: "Counter-pressing is your ticket into this team."

Darwin Núñez has improved on his defensive work for Liverpool (Image: Getty Images)

The chaotic striker is still getting to grips with life in England, but based on his early showings so far this term, it is reasonable to suggest that his defensive game is finally starting to catch up with what he offers in attack. He started against West Ham over the weekend and managed to find the net in an impressive 3-1 win.

After the contest, Klopp was eager to praise his work against the ball rather than focusing solely on his goal, stating (via Liverpool's official website): "Massive steps in the last few weeks. He is a threat. You all saw the goal, it was pretty good. He was always available for us. The defensive work he puts in now, that’s probably the main difference. He always wanted, but it was less coordinated. Now that looks much better and we found a way how we can do it around him. Really good, absolutely."

Throughout the course of the contest against the Hammers, Núñez showcased real industry without possession but, crucially, he closed down his opponents in a careful manner, making sure that he blocked passing lanes in the process while also curving his defensive runs to entice his opponents into making predictable passes in certain directions.

He looks stronger, smarter and more aligned with his teammates, while also being as dangerous as ever when Liverpool is attacking. It is still early days but so far this season, he is averaging a goal or an assist every 52 minutes, and he seems to have finally bought the ticket that Klopp referenced as he searched for a way into the team.

Whisper it, but after a full year of development, Liverpool's secret weapon now looks ready to be unleashed.

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Liverpool remains unbeaten this season, but the Reds could be in for their toughest test so far this week.

Jürgen Klopp’s side made it five wins out of six in the Premier League so far with victory over West Ham on Sunday, leaving them as Manchester City’s closest challengers at this early stage.

After Wednesday’s Carabao Cup tie against Leicester though, Liverpool travels to North London on Saturday to take on a resurgent Tottenham, with Ange Postecoglou’s side among the early pace-setters so far.

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The Spurs boss though will be keeping his fingers crossed for some good news on the injury front, with one of his key players reportedly set to undergo a scan ahead of the weekend.

Meanwhile, Manchester United may have got back to winning ways at Burnley at the weekend, but Erik ten Hag still finds himself coming under attack — this time from a somewhat unexpected source.

Here, Liverpool.com takes a scan around the other big sides in the Premier League and around Europe to take a look at the news going on at the other clubs.

James Maddison set for scan ahead of Liverpool

James Maddison is set to undergo a scan on his knee ahead of Saturday’s game after picking up a knock during the North London derby, according to Football.London.

The issue arose after a clash with Jorginho against Arsenal, although Maddison is said to feel positive about his knee, meaning he currently looks likely to face Liverpool. Tottenham looks to have a doubt over Brennan Johnson, though, with the former Nottingham Forest forward pulling up with a tight hamstring during Sunday’s draw, with the problem set to be monitored throughout the week.

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Liverpool.com says: You certainly wouldn’t want to wish an injury on any player, but there’s no doubt Spurs being without Maddison would be a huge boost to Liverpool ahead of the weekend. It sounds like the former Leicester man will be okay though, so don’t get your hopes up on that one. Johnson’s injury though could open the door for Richarlison to return, which always adds a bit of spice.

Arturo Vidal slams Erik ten Hag for Cristiano Ronaldo exit

Arturo Vidal has slammed Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag for Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit from the club last season.

Ronaldo left Old Trafford after falling out of favor under Ten Hag, with the Portuguese having his contract terminated after saying he felt “betrayed” by the club and had “no respect” for the manager in an interview with Piers Morgan.

Ten Hag has now been criticized in a somewhat bizarre fashion by former Barcelona midfielder Vidal.

"That coach came in badly," Vidal said (via the Daily Mail). "How are you going to take out Cristiano Ronaldo? That's how these guys are. He was the scorer and he takes him out. The bald guys are very complicated."

Liverpool.com says: There are plenty of problems at United, and Ten Hag is certainly culpable for some of them, but the obsession with some people to turn it back to Ronaldo’s exit is really strange. The Portuguese brought it upon himself with his behavior, and cutting ties with him proved to be the right decision. Also, Arturo Vidal having a go at someone’s hairstyle (or lack of) is a bit rich…

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Liverpool has made a great start to the season in both competitions in which it has played so far. In the Premier League, only Manchester City has more points. In the Europa League, the Reds are already top of their group.

Now, the Carabao Cup is about to kick off, with Liverpool having been handed a home draw against Leicester City. The Foxes have made a decent start to life in the Championship (and beat Tranmere Rovers to reach this round of the competition) but Liverpool should be getting through and making sure its name is in the hat for round four.

As was the case against LASK, Jürgen Klopp is likely to make plenty of changes to his team. Ibrahima Konaté is back fit again even though he did not play against West Ham and he should come in, while several others could be handed another opportunity.

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Harvey Elliott, Wataru Endō and Stefan Bajčetić should be among those who get minutes, with Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo also in contention given neither has started in either of the previous two fixtures.

Here, Liverpool.com brings you the latest injury updates after the win over West Ham and before the clash with Leicester at Anfield. Klopp (or perhaps Pep Lijnders) will likely offer an update during Tuesday's press conference.

Thiago Alcântara

Having not been seen since a season-ending hip issue in the final few weeks of last season, Thiago is yet to return. The decision was taken to try and solve the problem with a few matches of the last campaign to go, with the idea being for him to be back in time for pre-season, but the recovery has taken longer.

Klopp said around 10 days ago that he was back running but the Spaniard has not been seen in full training yet. It is a shame, as a home fixture with Leicester would be a decent one to ease him back into the fray.

Trent Alexander-Arnold

Because of the Europa League game being on Thursday night, Liverpool did not hold a traditional press conference ahead of West Ham. An injury update from the Reds boss was therefore not issued.

A proper update on Trent Alexander-Arnold will hopefully be given before Leicester City in Tuesday's press conference, though even if he is back available, it seems unlikely that the full-back would feature in the Carabao Cup.

If he could return in time to face Spurs at the weekend, that would be a major boost for Liverpool, though Joe Gomez did very well against West Ham on Sunday playing in that position.

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What a difference a year makes for Liverpool. This time 12 months ago, it was already looking as though the Reds were in for a long slog, having won just two of its opening six Premier League games. Now though, things are much improved.

Sunday’s 3-1 victory over West Ham continued its unbeaten start to the current season and made it five league wins in a row as Liverpool keeps in touch with early leaders Manchester City.

Having transformed his midfield during the summer, Jürgen Klopp’s efforts already look to have paid off. Nevertheless, there is still some work to do in January.

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The Liverpool boss will no doubt be aware that a new defender is still needed, and one possible option may have just left the door open for a move.

Meanwhile, Klopp will have decisions to make on a couple of players in his squad as their contracts run down, although reports suggest he could be willing to let one of them go soon.

Here is the Liverpool.com verdict on the transfer gossip to emerge around the Reds today.

Patrick Dorgu (Lecce)

Patrick Dorgu has left the door open for a transfer to Liverpool, but has admitted to wanting a move to Chelsea.

The Lecce left-back is on the radar of both the Reds and Manchester City (the player's agent claims, at least, after he spoke to Danish outlet Bold earlier in the year), with Dorgu himself now seemingly talking up his chances of moving to one of the clubs.

"I really just take it as motivation, that when the big teams look at me, it is because I am doing the right thing and must continue. Then it’s just a matter of time before the big teams come knocking," Dorgu told Ekstra Bladet.

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Liverpool's home shirt for the 2023/2024 campaign pays homage to Bill Shankly and the legendary Reds manager's final season in charge at Anfield. The Nike shirt features a bright red design with a bold white contrast on the colour and cuffs.

Prices start from £59.95

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The 18-year-old though also admitted he has his sights set on another team. "Chelsea is my dream to play for," he added. "I have been a fan of them for over 10 years, so it would be a huge dream to play for them."

Liverpool.com says: Here we go again. Another player that could seemingly secure a move to Anfield, but instead wants to go to Chelsea.

Moisés Caicedo and Roméo Lavia have both already proven that might not be the best idea. Hopefully, Dorgu is not as stubborn if Liverpool comes calling for him.

Thiago Alcântara (Liverpool)

Liverpool is willing to accept a big offer for Thiago Alcântara if one arrives in January, according to Football Insider.

The same outlet claimed last week that the club had opened talks with the midfielder over a possible extension of his contract. The new report though suggests Liverpool could be tempted to sell the 32-year-old before his deal expires next summer.

Liverpool.com says: Selling Thiago didn’t make much sense during the summer after the departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho. Liverpool is in a much stronger position now in midfield, and it’s hard to see a way back into the side for the Spaniard at the moment.

That would of course rely on him returning to fitness, and with his deal expiring next summer, it might suit Liverpool to take whatever fee it can in January. Thiago is a luxury player, but looks as though he might be left behind by the new-look engine room.

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