Liverpool started with their typical intensity and piled pressure on Sheffield United from the whistle. Despite penning the home side into their own half for nearly the entirety of the first 10 minutes, the Reds could not break the Blades early. Patience would be required again.
Towards the end of the first half Liverpool jumped on a Sheffield mistake in midfield, driving into the box where Roberto Firmino stopped time before finding Sadio Mané’s who shot it off the post. It was the chance of the match. In general, the front three’s clinical cutting edge went wanting.
The second half started strangely similar to the way the first ended. The Reds failed to find their resurgent restart form that has become a consistent feature. Liverpool struggled to speed up their play or finish any their chances. It would take adding Divock Origi and changing the shape of the team to gain any kind of edge in the match.
Ultimately, Liverpool got lucky and ground out the toughest win they have had in some time. Gini Wijnaldum’s 70th-minute strike slipped through goalkeeper Dean Henderson’s hands gifting the Reds the advantage. To the Blades credit, they never really broke and challenged the Reds until the end. Still, winning ugly and finding fortune are both requirements of any team on a title run.
Here are four findings from the match.
