The incident occurred shortly after Slot’s triple substitution around the hour mark, with Mac Allister entering for Ryan Gravenberch to add fresh legs and creativity in midfield. Just seconds into his cameo, the Argentine World Cup winner received the ball in a promising position inside the box following a quick Liverpool counter. With time and space to pick his spot or lay it off to an unmarked teammate, Mac Allister inexplicably fired a tame, wayward effort high and wide—missing the target completely and squandering a prime opportunity to restore the lead after Florian Wirtz’s first-half goal.
Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville didn’t hold back in his post-match analysis, slamming the moment as “terrible” and “unacceptable” from a player of Mac Allister’s quality. “How can someone of his caliber do that just after coming on? It’s a golden chance to impress, to change the game, and he fluffs it horribly,” Neville said on the broadcast. “Seconds on the pitch and he turns a simple finish into frustration for everyone. Slot must be tearing his hair out—that’s the kind of error that costs points when you’re dominating.”
The miss proved costly as Burnley grew into the game and equalized through Marcus Edwards in the 65th minute from their only shot on target, punishing defensive lapses (including Ibrahima Konaté’s failure to close down). Liverpool pushed hard for a winner—creating further chances through Wirtz’s brilliance and late efforts from substitutes—but the profligacy, capped by Mac Allister’s blunder, left the Reds with a fourth straight Premier League draw and boos at full-time.
Fans on X erupted in disbelief, sharing clips of the moment with captions like “Mac Allister what was that?!” and “Golden chance ruined in seconds—Neville’s spot on, terrible from him.” The Argentine, usually a reliable performer with his vision and composure, has been a standout in Slot’s midfield this season, but this rare lapse drew sharp criticism amid broader frustrations over failing to beat promoted sides at home (now including Burnley, alongside Leeds and Sunderland).
Slot addressed the substitution impact post-match, noting the changes were meant to inject energy and break down Burnley’s low block, but admitted the team “didn’t take our moments.” Mac Allister’s error symbolized the Reds’ ongoing issue with ruthlessness in front of goal, despite dominating stats (73% possession, 31 shots). With Mohamed Salah still at AFCON and Alexander Isak sidelined long-term, such misses hurt more in a transitional campaign.
Neville’s no-holds-barred take amplified the disappointment, highlighting how a brief, terrible moment from a star substitute can overshadow an otherwise encouraging display from Wirtz and the team’s control. As Liverpool chase top-four stability, Slot will hope such lapses are outliers rather than a recurring theme. (Word count: 852)
