We’ve all grown accustomed to Brighton’s one recurring struggle these past 18 months, one which has held them back from realizing their full potential under the fine and craft tutelage of highly-rated tactician Graham Potter.

It’s been their inability to put the ball in the back of the net consistently whether during Premier League matches or in consecutive gameweeks. There’s no doubt about it, this is a Brighton team on the up. They’re much more competitive, more cohesive, tactically aware, and more defensive sound, but still its finding the back of the net regularly that so eludes them.

However, their impressive 3-2 win over a struggling and faltering Everton team may well be the game Brighton start to be more clinical, and we are really hoping so, because this is a team that can go places.

Picture this though, the Everton result was the first time this season Brighton have score three or more in a game. It’s a surprising stat considering the wealth of talent both in midfield and attack at Graham Potter’s disposal.

Neal Maupay, Leandro Trossard, Yves Bissouma, Enock Mwepu, Adam Lallana, Tariq Lamptey, Marc Cucurella, Jakub Moder, Graham Potter is building and moulding an exciting and tantalizing squad. While Neal Maupay (7) and Leandro Trossard (4) have shared the goals between them rather staggered this season, there is one flawless talent not named above who after his performance against Everton deserves his own seperate mention is Brighton’s Argentine midfield maestro Alexis Mac Allister.

Brighton and Hove Albion have needed a goalscoring midfielder ever since their promotion to the big league in 2017. Now, they have finally found one in the shape of the so-called South Coast Messi, as big a claim as that may be, Mac Allister is indeed a special footballer.

The 23-year-old’s two goals against Everton on Sunday highlighted his stunning ability in the final third, but also showed he has a fair amount in common with the former Barcelona great and his compatriot. Same shirt number, same build and stature but also the same aura when performing for their clubs respectively.

Mac Allister hasn’t had all his own way since his arrival.

He’s made the same number of top-flight substitute appearances (22) as starts (22) since an £8 million move from Argentinos Juniors in the January 2019 transfer window.

Mac Allister was loaned back to Argentinos, then to his boyhood idols Boca Juniors, before making his Brighton debut at Wolves in March 2020, the final fixture before COVID-19 led to a Premier League lockdown. The 23-year-old has been unfortunate that his period at the club has coincided with injuries, niggles and the disruptive pandemic but after a few false starts in the team, it finally looks like his big break amongst Potter’s first XI is finally upon him.

His double against Everton took his tally for the league season to four goals taking him level with Leandro Trossard, compared to scoring just once in 30 outings across the previous two campaigns. Graham Potter has turned to him in the last three matches in succession. They have yielded a 2-0 home win over Brentford, a 1-1 draw at Chelsea and a first-ever victory at Goodison Park.

Within those three appearances, Mac Allister has shown why he can be so pivotal to Potter’s impressively built side. Both of his goals were simply mesmerizing, applying the finish to fluid build-ups, something Brighton have struggled with for a while.

His first, ghosting into the box to volley Neal Maupay’s header from Joel Veltman’s cross past Jordan Pickford from six yards just two minutes and 43 seconds into the contest, Brighton’s fastest ever away goal in the Premier League. If you analyse the goal, you’d see as soon Veltman hit the cross towards the box, Mac Allister is already on the move to capitalize on any loose balls, and that’s how he was able to score, something out of Frank Lampard or even Lionel Messi’s playbook.

His second and Brighton’s third was out of the top draw, arrowing an unstoppable right-footed drive beyond the reach of England No 1 Jordan Pickford into the roof of the net from 20-yards, an absolute peach of a hit. Measured, purposeful and hit with real venom encompassing the fact that this is a footballer playing with real confidence.

It was his cross which led to Brighton’s third, but also it was a true measure of his specialty from free-kicks and corners. This is a player mastered in the art of creativity.

He currently averages 3.43 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season, the third most in the Brighton squad, again highlighting his creative abilities in the final third. Also, the Argentine averages 1.56 key passes, 4.38 passes into the final third and 4.53 progressive passes.

Lining up behind both Neal Maupay and Leandro Trossard, Mac Allister has fully utilised and taken advantage of the freedom offered to him in Brighton’s attacking play.

Whether its operating in the half-spaces or in the flanks orchestrating one and two touch football, he’s become so central to Potter’s intricate patterns of football. His heatmap above may not show as much action, but its safe to say Mac Allister is a smooth and silent operator, one who picks his moments but is obviously decisive when provided the opportunity. Not only is he thriving in his attacking play, but he’s a very valuable component in Graham Potter’s renewed pressing game this season.

The Argentinian averages 9.38 successful pressures per90 in the Premier League this season, the ninth best out of any player in the English top-flight, as well as averaging 2.66 tackles won per 90, which makes for telling reading when analysing his work off the ball. Mac Allister, Trossard and Maupay may look the smallest and not the strongest when defending from the front but they are true hustlers and harriers when trying to counter-press, something Graham Potter has utilised to good effect so far this campaign.

Against Everton, Mac Allister was at his sparkling best, recording 65 touches, the joint-second best in the Brighton team, 2 key passes, 3 shots, 3 accurate crosses, 2 accurate long balls, 5 tackles, and four clearances picking up a WhoScored rating of 8.76. Blessed with such amazing quick and silky feet, wonderful vision, and a technical set of skills that means he is like no other in this Brighton squad, a unique player who Graham Potter probably cannot do without.

Mac Allister only turned 23 on Christmas Eve, so there’s still a lot more to come from him. Five goals – 4 of them coming this campaign – is a credible return from 44 Premier League appearances overall for Brighton, considering so many of them have been limited roles from the bench. Of course, he will never reach Messi’s prestigious feats but Mac Allister is capable of the spectacular, whether chipping in with goals and assists that have been lacking from the midfield areas for Brighton.

Graham Potter said post-match:

“He’s got the quality. You can see that. He can contribute to the scoring phase for us, for sure. So can Enock, so can Jakub (Moder).

“That’s something we’re trying to improve because it’s too easy to blame the strikers if we don’t score. It was positive because we got goals from midfield and a goal from a set play, which is good for us.”

It’s high-time Brighton started getting goals from midfield and if they can keep Mac Allister fit and firing for the rest of the campaign, there is simply no reason why Graham Potter’s men can’t claim an unprecedented top-half finish in the Premier League table come May.

Certainly, Brighton’s Argentine midfield maestro will be central to those lofty ambitions, the future is looking really bright at the Amex Stadium.