This past week has been nothing short of dreadful for Liverpool. The headlines, however, have told a different story. After crashing out of the Champions League despite holding a one-goal advantage in the first leg against PSG at Anfield, things only got worse. In the Carabao Cup final, Newcastle inflicted another painful defeat on the Reds, effectively ending their hopes of securing silverware this season.
For Alexis Mac Allister, the low point came when Dan Burn outmuscled him to head home Newcastle’s opening goal. That moment set the tone for the rest of the match, with Newcastle asserting their physical dominance and dictating the game from then on.
Dan Burn delivers honest verdict on Liverpool star Alexis Mac Allister.
Liverpool were fortunate to escape with a narrower defeat, as Newcastle dominated with 17 shots (six on target) compared to the Reds‘ seven (two on target).
Mo Salah’s recent poor form gaining traction following another subdued performance, which only compounded Liverpool’s struggles. That said, few players could leave London with their heads held high.
However, placing all the blame on Alexis Mac Allister for the setback would be unfair. The real question is why he was assigned to mark the towering Dan Burn, a rare tactical misjudgment from Arne Slot.
Dan Burn’s comments leave Alexis Mac Allister with nowhere to hide
It was already a tough day for the Argentine, as he struggled to stay focused, failed to drive play forward, and couldn’t register a single shot on target. His night only got worse when Dan Burn’s post-match comments surfaced. The towering defender, standing at 6’7” compared to Mac Allister’s 5’9”, admitted he capitalised on the midfielder’s lapse in concentration to score.
Dan Burn speaking to SkySports after the game, declared the Argentine’s error made it easy for him
“I knew that Alexis wasn’t looking at the ball, so I’d be able to get a good jump on him,”
“As soon as I headed it, I knew it was in. It was just one of them.”
https://twitter.com/SkyFootball/status/1901352738006401386?ref\_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1901352738006401386%7Ctwgr%5E9566d026f81e4b752bcdfaf5df46519a2f980bb4%7Ctwcon%5Es1\_c10&ref\_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.empireofthekop.com%2F2025%2F03%2F16%2Fdan-burn-calls-out-liverpool-player%2F
Arne Slot cannot escape criticism for how Newcastle ruthlessly exploited this weakness on Sunday. While he defended his tactical approach, deploying Mac Allister as one of three man-markers, the decision left the Argentine exposed against a physically superior opponent.
Slot admitted the unusual nature of Burn’s goal, remarking that he had never seen a player generate such power from that distance. While zonal marking has its advantages, allowing such a glaring mismatch was a costly oversight. Liverpool should have ensured Mac Allister wasn’t left to contest aerial duels against a towering presence like Burn.
More Liverpool News
Zonal marking should always account for potential mismatches, yet Liverpool failed to do so, leaving a glaring vulnerability that Newcastle ruthlessly exploited. This costly oversight ultimately paved the way for another trophy to slip from their grasp.