Liverpool supporters always have a bad time during the international break, and this week is no exception.
Fans have been forced to wait an additional week to see their team, the Reds, in action after they went undefeated through their first four games of the season. Two England games in the meantime don’t provide much solace to Liverpool supporters, considering their history with the Three Lions.
However, you may find some fun elsewhere. Dominik Szoboszlai lead Hungary to a 2-1 victory over Serbia, while Cody Gakpo scored as the Netherlands breezed to a 3-0 win over Greece.
So far this season, the midfielder has been the best of the newcomers, but his partner in the middle may have just surpassed him in the eyes of the fans. One simple snapshot was enough.
Alexis Mac Allister played for Argentina in their 2026 World Cup qualification game against Ecuador, which they won by a score of 1-0.
The 24-year-old faced up against former colleague Moisés Caicedo, who he had played with at Brighton. Caicedo rejected Liverpool’s record fee in order to secure a transfer to Chelsea. Had events unfolded differently, the two may have been reunited at Anfield.
Since then, supporters of the Blues have taken great delight in reminding those of the Liverpool this. On Thursday night, though, Mac Allister was instrumental in reestablishing their credibility.
The moment Mac Allister slipped past Caicedo, leaving the $144m (£115m/€134m) man in an ugly heap behind him, was caught on tape by one photographer.
Naturally, Reds faithful have reveled in this moment, and you can’t help but think that a few folks behind the scenes at Anfield have been grinning as well.
The image captures the current state of affairs between Liverpool and Chelsea to some extent. The Reds’ measured approach to the transfer market has paid dividends this season, whereas the Blues’ haphazard approach has done nothing to help them and has already put them in last place.
Despite his high price tag, Caicedo has not gotten off to the kind of start that many were anticipating. After completing his transfer to Stamford Bridge, the 21-year-old found himself the target of social media compilations highlighting a laundry list of mistakes. His case hasn’t been helped by errors that directly led to goals in Chelsea’s losses to West Ham and Nottingham Forest.
Mac Allister, on the other hand, has been quietly going about his business since being purchased for the considerably more modest amount of $44m (£35m/€41m). Liverpool supporters have plenty of reason to be pleased despite his lack of a barnstorming performance.
Chelsea fans may have reveled in their team’s victories over Liverpool in the Caicedo and Roméo Lavia transfers, but the early data reveals the Reds still dominate their rivals on the field and in the stands.
Although Chelsea has had more recent success, Liverpool is now the superior team.