"The worst he’s played in ages" - Mark Lawrenson slams Liverpool superstar for his performance against Villarreal 

Liverpool legend Mark Lawrenson has slammed Thiago Alcantara's performance during the Reds' 3-2 comeback win over Villarreal on Tuesday (May 3), which saw them advance to the final of the UEFA Champions League.

Alcantara, 31, has had a fine season at Anfield with many touting him as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League. His vision and elegance on the ball have been heralded by many during the campaign. However, Thiago wasn't his usual self during the midweek victory over Villarreal.

Lawrenson has picked up on the quiet display of the Spanish midfielder and criticized his performance. He told Off The Ball (via HITC):

“I heard you speaking about Thiago and everything, and that’s probably the worst he’s played in ages. Even he couldn’t pass to a red shirt."

Lawrenson then explained how Jurgen Klopp's side managed to advance past Villarreal. He stated that his former side were the better team for three of four halves during the tie and said:

"Across two games, if you split them into four halves, Liverpool have been fantastic in three of them and average in one of them. But against a team like Villarreal, that was enough to get through."

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Thiago Alcantara was shining for Liverpool prior to his poor performance against Villarreal

The Spaniard is having his best season to date at Anfield

Thiago joined the Reds in 2020 for £19.8 million from Bayern Munich, with the midfielder having just won the UEFA Champions League.

There were huge expectations of the Spaniard, who had flourished at not only Bayern but also at Barcelona in La Liga. He had a reputation for being one of the best passers of the ball in both the Spanish league and Bundesliga.

The Brazilian's debut season in Merseyside was not one many had envisioned as he took some time to adapt to Premier League football. He also had to deal with injury issues following his arrival at Anfield.

Thiago managed just one goal in 34 appearances across all competitions in his debut season for Liverpool.

However, the former Bayern man has been a revelation for Liverpool and Lawrenson had heaped praise on him prior to his performance against Villarreal and called the 31-year-old his favorite player. He told Football Focus (via HITC)

“Talking about Thiago, he is my favourite player, at the moment. If he was five years older (younger) and he had signed for Liverpool, we would be like, ‘Wow, he has got radar that guy.'"

Thiago has two goals and three assists in 34 appearances across all competitions. He will be an important player for the Reds as Klopp's side chases an unprecedented quadruple this season.