Match report: Liverpool 2-1 Sheffield United
Premier League: Andy Hunter was at Anfield to see Liverpool come from behind to win against much-improved Sheffield United. Here’s how our man on Merseyside saw the action unfold.
Updated
Jordan Henderson speaks ...
“It was hard, as expected,” he tells Sky Sports. “Sheffield United are a good side, they worked hard and made it difficult. They were in the game for long periods but we’re delighted that we kept going and got the three points in the end, which was important for us.
On Liverpool’s centre-back pairing: “They were brilliant. It’s always going to be difficult against McBurnie up top, who’s very good in the air. I thought they worked the game out well, especially in the second half. We created some good chances and probably should have killed the game off with another goal or two. Overall, we’ve got to be delighted with the three points.”
Have Liverpool answered a few questions from people critical of some recent results? “I’m not really interested in that, to be honest. I’m only interested in what I see in the dressing-room and I see hunger and desire every day to improve and win games. We’ve shown resilience and character tonight, digging in when we’re not playing as well as we should be.”
The table: Liverpool go second, level on points with Everton having played one game more. Sheffield United remain second from bottom with just one point from a possible 18 but can take a lot of positives from their performance against the champions tonight.
Full-time: Liverpool 2-1 Sheffield United
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeep! It was intriguing without being especially entertaining and Mike Dean draws proceedings to a close and Liverpool take all three points. They went behind to a controversially awarded Sander Berge penalty, but fought back to win courtesy of goals from Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota.
90+3 min: One suspects that was the chance for United. Liverpool have the ball back and are in no hurry to give it away.
90+2 min: Oli McBurnie wins a flick-on and puts the ball into the path of Oliver Burke. He shoots high and wide when he should have at least hit the target. He puts his head in his hands and berates himself in the strongest possible terms.
90+1 min: Ben Osborn is crowded out as he tries to drill the ball across the Liverpool penalty area.
89 min:Time is running out for Sheffield United, who are struggling to get a touch of the ball at the moment. There’s a break in play as Jordan Henderson takes a breath after coming out second best from an accidental collision with Oli McBurnie.
87 min: Sadio Mane leans back as he shoots from distance and the ball sails high over the crossbar.
85 min: Diogo Jota takes his place in the stand and has a big bag of ice taped applied to his right calf, strapped in place by a physio with far more Cling Film than is necessary. Won’t somebody please think of the environment?!?!?!
Updated
84 min: Liverpool substitution: Takumi Minamino and James Milner on, Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota off.
82 min: With his back to goal and the ball travelling towards him at speed, Mo Salah rolls John Egan and finds himself through on goal. He dinks the ball on to the upright and it bounces back into the grateful arms of Aaron Ramsdale.
Updated
79 min: Sheffield United remain in the game, with Ethan Ampadu playing a diagonal for Ben Osborn to chase. He gets in by the byline and looks up, but there’s nobody in a green shirt for him to pull the ball back towards.
76 min: Sheffield United substitution: David McGoldrick on for John Lundstram. The Republic of Ireland international almost has an instant impact, pouncing on a loose header from Fabinho and sending a half-volley wide of the upright.
75 min: Another header from Gomez, who puts the ball out for a throw-in as Sheffield United enjoy a spell of dominance.
74 min: John Egan plays a ball from deep down the touchline for George Baldock to chase. He picks out Sander Berge, who forces a smart save out of Alisson.
72 min: Ben Osborn sends in a half-decent cross from the left flank, which Joe Gomez thumps clear with a good header.
69 min: Going back to that disallowed Mo Salah goal - his two-touch finish was sublime, but the curtain-twitchers at Stockley Park got this decision right. He was marginally offside when he made his run to meet Alexander-Arnold’s cross.
68 min: As impressive as Sheffield United have been tonight, they’ll be ticked off that both Liverpool goals have come from preventable crosses sent in from the touchline. The first came from Jordan Henderson, the second from Sadio Mane.
67 min: Another corner for Liverpool as Sheffield United fail to clear properly.
66 min: Enda Stevens is booked for a foul on Jota and Liverpool have a free-kick wide on the right in a good position. Alexander-Arnold swings the ball in towards the near post and Firmino’s header is put out for a corner.
GOAL! Liverpool 2-1 Sheffield United (Jota 65)
Liverpool lead: Sadio Mane sends a cross to the far post from the left flank and Diogo Jota leaps to thump a header past Aaron Ramsdale. There was nothing wrong with that one!
Updated
Goal disallowed: Liverpool 1-1 Sheffield United
63 min: Liverpool fans will love this - Salah’s goal has been ruled out for offside following a VAR intervention.
Updated
GOAL! Liverpool 2-1 Sheffield United (Salah 62)
Trent Alexander-Arnold picks out Salah with a cross from the right to the edge of the six-yard box. He controls it beautifully with his first touch, then turns and spanks it past Ramsdale with his second.
Updated
60 min: Past the hour mark we go and Sheffield United continue to play very well against the reigning champions. Oliver Burke takes on and beats Fabinho around his outside and scurries into the Liverpool penalty area. His shot from a narrow angle is blocked by Joe Gomez.
58 min: Jurgen Klopp effs and jeffs on the touchline, prompting Sky’s commentator to apologise for the Liverpool manager’s potty mouth. It’s after the watershed, there’s really no need.
55 min: Good play from Liverpool, as Jordan Henderson tries to play a low, curled pass from outside the area into the path of Sadio Mane, who was making a run to the far post. There’s a mite too much welly on it but Mane keeps it in play at the byline and pulls it back to Firmino. His shot from the edge of the penalty area is blocked.
54 min: Sheffield United substitution: Oliver Burke comes on for Rhian Brewster, who’s seen little of the ball and had a fairly quiet game.
51 min: Enda Stevens dives to head a Trent Alexander-Arnold cross out for a corner. From that set-piece, Liverpool win another. Alexander-Arnold’s inswinger is cleared by Oli McBurnie, but only as far as Mo Salah. He tries to arrow the ball into the top corner, but sends his effort high and wide.
50 min: Andy Robertson picks up a pass in space on the right flank but is quickly closed down by Ben Osbourn and forced to pass backwards. Liverpool are dominating but Sheffield United are doing a good job of keeping them at arm’s length.
48 min: Oli McBurnie has been making life very difficult for Joe Gomez and takes advantage of a poor touch from the central defender to win the ball in the Liverpool penalty area. It’s worked towards George Baldock, who tries his luck with a shot from distance. It’s a decent effort but fizzes wide of the left upright.
47 min: Liverpool begin on the front foot, dominating possession in the early stages of the second half, much like they did in the first. Diogo Jota dribbles across the face of the Sheffield United penalty area but has the ball nicked off his toe.
Second-half: Liverpool 1-1 Sheffield United
46 min: Play resumes, with Liverpool getting the ball rolling as they play into an empty Kop for this second half. There are no changes in personnel on either side.
https://t.co/GSi589ohtL pic.twitter.com/lOnq2u7JAI
— Nick Harris (@sportingintel) October 24, 2020
Clarification from the Premier League re; Shef Utd penalty that was awarded. VAR only ruled on whether the incident was inside or outside the box, not on whether a foul took place or not.
— Matt Critchley (@MattCritchley1) October 24, 2020
An email: “I assume that we will see those fine sportsmen from Liverpool vociferously protesting that the Blades should get a penalty for that trip,” writes Jonathan Leiper. “Given that they have invested so much emotional capital in Mane’s offside and all that.”
Sheffield United have been excellent in that first half, with George Baldock standing out in a team full of players who are having good games. How on earth have they only got one point from their first five games?
Half-time: Liverpool 1-1 Sheffield United
Peep! The sides traipse off with a goal apiece. Liverpool started in the ascendency but went behind after Sander Berge slotted home a penalty awarded when Fabinho was penalised for a fould on John Lundstram right on the edge of the Liverpool penalty area. Bobby Firmino equalised for Liverpool shortly before the break, tapping into an empty goal after Sadio Mane had forced Aaron Ramsdale into a decent save.
45+3 min: ANother Baldock cross - the man is relentless on the right flank for Sheffield United - is cleared at the far post.
45 min: Another cross from Baldock is cleared by Fabinho, as Lundstram charges into the Liverpool penalty area with a late run. The ball drops for Basham, whose shot is blocked.
Updated
43 min: A tip of the hat to Jordan Henderson for his role in the build-up to that goal. His cross from the right touchline was a beauty and at the far post, Mane got a powerful header on the ball. Ramsdale kept it out but couldn’t hold on to it and Firmino’s task couldn’t have been simpler.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-1 Sheffield United (Firmino 41)
The sides are level. Roberto Firmino taps in from a few yards out on the follow-up after Aaron Ramsdale could only parry a Sadio Mane header from point-blank range.
Updated
40 min: Yup, replays show that Jota tripped Berge but no spot-kick was awarded. Perhaps Andre Marriner and his VAR officials have gone for their half-time cuppa early.
38 min: Chris Basham intercepts a cross from Firmino from the left, with Mo Salah and Jordan Henderson lurking with intent behind him. Moments previously, Sander Berge was denied what looked a clear penalty for a trip on him by Diogo Jota inside the Liverpool penalty area.
37 min: Another George Baldock cross into the Liverpool penalty area is cleared by Jordan Henderson.
34 min: Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson aren’t getting forward down the wings as much as usual this evening, with Sheffield United’s wing-backs keeping them pinned back as much as possible and forcing them to play the ball inside. As I type that, young Trent makes an eejit of me by getting forward and playing a raking pass into the Sheffield United penalty area, where Mo Salah tries to lift the ball over Aaron Ramsdale. Enda Stevens does well to distract him and the ball goes out for a corner from which nothing comes.
32 min: Joe Gomez plays a wonderful crossfield pass to Mo Salah on the right flank and the Egyptian jinks inside. He runs into traffic, turns and tees the ball up for Jordan Henderson, whose shot from just outside the penalty area is blocked by Enda Stevens.
30 min: Liverpool get the ball back to Alisson courtesy of headers from Fabinho and Robertson, while Rhian Brewster tracks both players waiting to pounce on any mistakes.
28 min: Nothing much to report as the game settles into something of a lull following periods of dominance from both sides.
24 min: Sheffield United have certainly found their groove now. A crossfield pass from George Baldock is caught on the volley by Ben Osborn. His ferocious rasper from about 12 yards is saved by Alisson.
23 min: Replays of that most recent Sheffield United penalty appeal show that George Baldock’s cross from the right definitely struck Andy Robertson’s arm. It wasn’t outstretched or in an “unnatural” position, which is probably why no spot-kick was awarded.
22 min: Alisson wins a free-kick as Sheffield United take a corner. He was being shoved as he tried to fist the ball clear.
20 min: Oli McBurnie squanders a glorious chance to put Sheffield United two up after beating the Liverpool offside trap, running on to a glorious cross-field pass, controlling with a wonderful first touch and then sidefooting wide of the far post from a narrow angle.
19 min: Another penalty shout from Sheffield United as a George Baldock cross from the right appears to hit an arm. The appeal goes unheeded.
17 min: Diogo Jota drifts into the centre from the right and picks out Salah with a pass before being fouled. Free-kick for Liverpool, in line with the right side of the United penalty area, a long way out. Trent Alexander-Arnold sends the ball into the penalty area, it finds its way to Gini Wijnaldum and he shoots high and wide.
14 min: Fabinho looks very aggrieved about that penalty decision that went against him. He stuck his foot in right on the edge of the Liverpool penalty area, getting a little bit of ball and a little bit of John Lundstram’s foot. Mike Dean didn’t consult his pitchside monitor, choosing to take his VAR official Andre Marriner’s word for that the Brazilian had committed the foul.
GOAL! Liverpool 0-1 Sheffield Unitd (Berge 13)
Sheffield United lead! Alisson dives to his right, Sander Berge shoots down the middle.
Updated
Penalty for Sheffield United
Mike Dean signals for a penalty following a consultation with his VAR official.
9 min: John Lundstram is tackled by Fabinho on the edge of the Liverpool penalty area and goes down. That might be a penalty.
8 min: Liverpool have settled into the game quickly and are bossing the game, while Sheffield United have yet to find anything resembling a groove.
6 min: The foul that led to that free-kick was a daft one by John Lundstram on Mo Salah, which earned the Sheffield United midfielder a yellow card and almost cost his team a goal.
3 min: Liverpool win a free-kick inside their own half and Trent Alexander-Armstrong spots Ramsdale off his line and shoots for goal. The Sheffield United is almost embarrassed but backpedals furously enough to stretch and tip the ball over his crossbar. That was a great effort from Alexander-Arnold. Nothing comes from the corner.
2 min: John Egan is forced to slide in and prevent the ball reaching Mo Salah in front of an empty net after Aaron Ramsdale charged off his line to chase a long ball from Andy Robertson. Sadio Mane got to it first and squared it, only for Egan to get back and intercept.
Liverpool v Sheffield United is go!
1 min: Sheffield United get the ball rolling, their players wearing green shirts, yellow shorts and yellow socks. Liverpool’s players wear their usual home kit of red shirts, shorts and socks.
Not long now: The teams are out on the pitch, Sheffield United trouping out first, closely followed by Liverpool. Alisson points to the sky, getting a quick prayer in before lining up with his team-mates in a socially responsible fashion. It’s all about the optics - they’ll be getting up close and personal in just a minute or so.
Jurgen Klopp speaks: “Having ALisson back is good news,” says Liverpool’s manager, upon being asked the alarmingly stupid question: is having Alisson back good news. “It was his decision and he’s old enough and experienced enough to make it.”
Chris Wilder: “He’s a talented young player and we’re delighted we brought him to the football club,” says Sheffield United’s gaffer upon being asked about Rhian Brewster. “I’m looking forward to watching him play tonight.
Elsewhere in the Premier league
In torrential rain, Manchester United and Chelsea have just played out a very boring stalemate in a match both managers seemed more intent on not losing than winning. Manchester United were lucky to survive a first-half penalty shout, when Harry Maguire clearly grappled Cesar Azpilicueta at a corner.
Those teams: Jurgen Klopp makes three changes to the side that drew with Everton last weekend, two of them enforced. Gini Wijnaldum comes into midfield in place of Fabinho, who drops to fill the Virgil van Dijk-shaped hole in Liverpool’s defence alongside Joe Gomez. Thiago Alcantara has not recovered sufficiently to make the matchday squad, which means Diogo Jota is in. Joel Matip is also out injured, but Alisson returns to the side.
A liverpool player until recently, Rhian Brewster makes his full debut for Sheffield United. Max Lowe appears to have been stood down after suffering a blow to the head against Fulham last week, while Oliver Norwood drops to the bench. Ethan Ampadu and Ben Osborn come into the side.
Updated
Liverpool v Sheffield United line-ups
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Fabinho, Robertson, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Salah, Firmino, Jota, Mane.
Subs: Adrian, Milner, Jones, Minamino, Shaqiri, Phillips, Williams.
Sheffield United: Ramsdale, Baldock, Basham, Egan, Ampadu, Stevens, Berge, Lundstram, Osborn, McBurnie, Brewster.
Subs: Verrips, Sharp, Burke, Jagielka, Norwood, McGoldrick, Robinson.
Your Blades starting XI. 🤝
— Sheffield United (@SheffieldUnited) October 24, 2020
Rhian Brewster & Ethan Ampadu start. John Egan continues as skipper. ©️ pic.twitter.com/svfiIK8oW5
Tonight’s match officials
-
Referee: Mike Dean
-
Assistants: Darren Cann and Mark Scholes
-
Fourth official: Andy Madley
- VAR: Andre Marriner
Early Sheffield United team news
Having scored just twice in five Premier League thus far, Sheffield United are in dire need of goals and former Liverpool player Rhian Brewster could be the man to provide them if he is handed his full debut for the club following his recent move. Left-back Max Lowe got a bang on the head against Fulham last week and was due to be assessed before the blades boarded their bus to Merseyside.
Early Liverpool team news
It’s flown below the radar so you may have missed the news, but Liverpool are going to be without Virgil van Dijk for the foreseeable future after he tore his ACL during last weekend’s Merseyside derby. The victim of an ludicrous Jordan Pickford challenge that went unpunished and has prompted no end of Liverpool supporters to call for the Everton goalkeeper to be brought to the Hague and tried for crimes against humanity, Van Dijk could miss the rest of the season and we wish him well as begins his recovery.
Also clattered in that game, Thiago Alcantara will be assessed before kick-off. Having been out with a shoulder injury, Alisson Becker is reported to be returning to full fitness and may return tonight. Midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and defender Konstantinos Tsimikas are both out, while Naby Keita and Joel Matip are major doubts.
📋 Tonight's team news...
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) October 24, 2020
Follow #LIVSHU live in our 𝑀𝑎𝑡𝑐ℎ 𝐶𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑒 📲
Updated
Premier League: Liverpool v Sheffield United
Sheffield United’s bad start to the season could be about to get a whole lot worse as they travel to Anfield to take on the reigning champions. A revelation last season following their promotion from the Championship, Chris Wilder’s side picked up their first point of the current campaign in a slightly fortuitous draw against fellow strugglers Fulham last weekend.
They’ll have their work cut out to take anything home today, but will fancy their chances against a team that have been imperious at times, but occasionally bang average and – against Aston Villa – downright awful. Kick-off is at 8pm (BST), but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
