Brighton’s World Cup winner made his 100th appearance for the club in the midweek 2-0 win at Bournemouth.
💯 Albion appearances for Alexis. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/YDM15zwCyE
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) April 5, 2023
He becomes the fifth player currently at the club (after Lewis Dunk, Solly March, Pascal Gross and Adam Webster) to reach this landmark — only Dunk (26), Gross (24) and March (22) have more goals than Mac Allister’s 18.
As a central midfielder, Alexis has retrained from a No.10 role when he first signed into a deep-lying playmaker (a No.5 in Argentinian footballing terminology and for the national team), Mac Allister’s impact is not always measured best through goals.
At the 2022 World Cup, Alexis Mac Allister ranked inside the top 🔟 U24 players for:
— Albion Analytics (@AlbionAnalytics) December 19, 2022
Minutes played (555)
Passes attempted (263)
Duels (60)
Ball recoveries (40)
Fouls won (13)
Tackles (9)
Chances created (8)
Shots (7)
Shining on the big stage. 🌟 #BHAFC #arg #Qatar2022 pic.twitter.com/fIdOIta7KJ
Since Mac Allister’s Premier League debut in March 2020, in games he has started (compared to games without the Argentine), Brighton have a better win rate (35.5% vs 29.4%), create more shooting opportunities (14.1 vs 11.9), attempt more open-play crosses (13.2 v 11.7) and concede fewer crosses too (10.7 v 12.9).
On an individual level, this campaign has been Mac Allister’s best yet in the Premier League in terms of — per 90 minutes — ball recoveries (7.09), passes (55.7), pass completion (86.7%) and completed passes to the final third (4.83). Across short (90.8%), medium (91.5%) and long distances (72.1%) his pass completion rates have progressively improved to his highest success rates this season. It is not a case of Mac Allister simply playing safer passes in deeper locations, he has clearly expanded his passing range.
The best of @AleMacAllister after 1⃣0⃣0⃣ Albion appearances! 💫 pic.twitter.com/x4BJTTSrFb
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) April 7, 2023
Alexis Mac Allister is the only Brighton player this season to have recorded 50+ in all the following:
— Albion Analytics (@AlbionAnalytics) May 3, 2022
Shots
Shot-creating actions
Tackles
Final third pressures
Progressive passes
Progressive carries
Progressive passes received
Ball recoveries
An all-rounder. 🇦🇷 #BHAFC pic.twitter.com/HfgX2TTUSq
In Mac Allister’s 100th game at Bournemouth, ranked against Brighton players, only Pervis Estupinan and Pascal Gross (6) completed more progressive passes than Mac Allister (5), despite the 24-year-old only playing 72 minutes. He ranked third for progressive carries (3) and shot-creating actions (4).
Last season (62.1%) was the first time Mac Allister played the majority of minutes in a league season since arriving at the club, which shows some time needed to adapt, but he is one of five players to have clocked over 2,000 minutes this season — alongside central midfield teammate Moises Caicedo.
Alexis Mac Allister in the Premier League in March - Brighton rank:
— Albion Analytics (@AlbionAnalytics) March 23, 2023
🥇 59 passes into final third
🥇 Involved in 20 shot-ending sequences
🥇 11 shots (3 on target, 2 goals)
🥇 8 high turnovers
🥈 6 fouls won
🥉 5/10 dribbles completed
Player of the month nominee. 🇦🇷 #BHAFC pic.twitter.com/UCYJd6BLTb
He ranks third among Brighton players for shot-creating actions (70), an almost identical total to his tackles plus interceptions (74 — second-most for Brighton), a reflection of how all-action Alexis has become. He leads the scoring charts with eight, having scored six in his last three seasons combined, and while five of those goals this season have been penalties his record from the spot this season has been perfect and is the best in the Premier League.
Probably a good time to have World Cup winner taking a penalty. 😅 pic.twitter.com/Ec7yJLcgfx
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) April 1, 2023
For all his positional evolution, Mac Allister still shows No.10-style flair. He has the highest dribble success rate of any Albion player with 10+ dribbles (59.6% — 28/47) and only Caicedo (37) has won more fouls than him (35).
SofaScore’s algorithm rates Mac Allister’s best league performance this season the 4-0 win at home to West Ham, where he scored a first-half penalty and assisted Joel Veltman for the second with a delicate flick-on from a corner.
That day Mac Allister (10) completed the most progressive passes of any Brighton player, made the joint-most ball recoveries (7), had the second-most touches in the opposition box (7) and ranked second for progressive carries (5).