Football psychologist expertly breaks down Alexis Mac Allister's 99th minute penalty against Man United

A football psychologist has expertly analysed Alexis Mac Allister's 99th minute penalty against Manchester United in a fascinating thread.

Mac Allister made no mistake from the spot as he smashed home a penalty deep, deep into stoppage time to hand Brighton a big win on Thursday.

He sent David De Gea the wrong way as he struck a ferocious penalty, sparking wild scenes inside the AMEX Stadium.

Geir Jordet, a football psychologist from Norway, has broken down the Argentine's penalty, calling it a 'pure test of performance under pressure'.

He's produced a thread on the 24-year-old's ice-cool penalty and it makes for interesting reading.

Alexis Mac Allister puts his penalty away in style. Image: Alamy

Jordet highlighted the Brighton star's actions after the award of the penalty as he moved himself away from the 'commotion and chaos around the referee'.

He tweeted: First, Mac Allister grabbed the ball early, then moved away from the commotion and chaos around the referee and the penalty spot. This is likely helpful to keep a clear focus on the task - the imminent shot, and avoid opponents' attempts to disturb and distract."

He continues by praising his composure as he steps up, tweeting: "When the penalty area is cleared, Mac Allister moves towards the penalty mark, places the ball & takes up a waiting position by the ball - instead of immediately walking back. I like the composed, step-by-step routine, where HE (and not others) decides when he does what."

Mac Allister then takes almost 10 seconds after the referee's whistle before hitting the ball, with Jordet pointing out the player's breathing.

The professor added: "Finally, he steps back and is ready to start his run-up. The referee blows his whistle and Mac Allister takes almost 10 seconds (!!!) before he starts moving towards the ball, actively taking deep breaths as he waits."

In another tweet, he wrote: "In Mac Allister’s career, this is the longest he has waited after the whistle. Interestingly, over the past years, he has progressively taken longer time in this position. This MAY indicate him more actively taking control of the situation and his pre-shot behaviors."

Mac Allister demonstrated great composure to put his penalty away and maintained extremely calm in a high-pressured situation - a testament to his mindset.

Topics: Alexis Mac Allister, Brighton And Hove Albion, Manchester United, Football

Nasir Jabbar

Nasir Jabbar is a journalist at SPORTbible. He graduated from Bath Spa University with a BA in Media Communications. He's a combat sport aficionado and has contributed to MMA websites AddictedMMA and CagePotato. Nasir has covered some of the biggest fights, while interviewing the likes of Conor McGregor, Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Darren Till. He's also an avid Bristol City fan.

@NasJabbar