Liverpool will face one of the toughest midfield battles the Premier League has to offer on Monday as they head north to Newcastle.

The Magpies are notoriously strong in the middle of the park, and the Reds will have to be at something close to their best to take three points home to Merseyside.

Luckily, Liverpool have an excellent midfield themselves, in which Alexis Mac Allister has quickly become a key part.

Mac Allister was included in the PFA Team of the Season earlier this week, and also picked up a nomination for the Ballon d’Or for a top campaign at Anfield.

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But the Argentine will have his work cut out on Monday as he and Ryan Gravenberch attempt to deal with Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes.

Bruno in particular can be a feisty player to come up against, and ahead of their meeting on bank holiday Monday, the Brazilian has ranked where Mac Allister features in his most difficult opponents.

Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Had things worked out differently, there is a chance these two players could have anchored the Liverpool midfield together.

Liverpool were heavily linked with Bruno a couple of years ago.

The transfer never happened, however, and the 27-year-old now feels completely synonymous with Newcastle.

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While plenty of Premier League midfielders would have him in their list of toughest opponents, Sky Sports asked Bruno to rank three of the best of the current crop in the division: Manchester City’s Rodri, Declan Rice of Arsenal and Mac Allister.

After understandably picking Rodri first, the Newcastle man then selected Rice in second before moving on to Liverpool’s No.

10.

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“I put him [Declan Rice] at number two, not because I don’t like Mac Allister, Mac Allister is a top player as well, I put him as a number three,” Bruno said.

“Top player, always tough to play against him especially when we play Brazil vs Argentina, every time!

“It was tough to put this player [third] but this is my top three.

All very good players, unfortunately I have to put him [Mac Allister] here, of course if it probably was not Rodri and Rice and would put Mac Allister at the top.”

Although they have plenty of weapons elsewhere, Newcastle’s midfield is arguably the strongest part of their team, especially while missing Alexander Isak.

During the Carabao Cup final in March, Liverpool massively lost the midfield battle and were overpowered by the Magpies as a result.

With so much spice surrounding Monday’s game from a Newcastle point of view, Mac Allister, Gravenberch and whoever else plays in the Reds midfield is going to have to do better at St James’ Park.

One way Arne Slot could give his players the best chance of going toe-to-toe is by playing Dominik Szoboszlai at right-back.

Gravenberch and Mac Allister are almost certain to play in the middle for Liverpool, but with Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley missing, Slot could give his team an extra midfielder in possession by getting Szoboszlai in the team as well.
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