BRAMALL LANE, SHEFFIELD// Liverpool had to contend with the new manager bounce against Sheffield United, as Chris Wilder made his return to the club. Coupled with a poor away record for the Reds, this had the makings of a banana skin fixture, but the visitor managed to eke out a win.
Sheffield United had improved on its last outing against Burnley within a minute, as it succeeded in repelling Liverpool’s threat for longer than 45 seconds. And it quickly became apparent that Wilder’s iteration of the team would be no pushover for Jürgen Klopp’s men.
Liverpool did not do itself any favors either, often looking turgid going forward while ceding numerous needless turnovers. It fell to Caoimhín Kelleher to bail out his side, making a big save at 0-0 as the best possible answer to the criticism from the weekend.
At the other end, it was a matter of getting things done however possible. Set pieces proved to be the weapon of choice, and it was one of those that forced the breakthrough, with Virgil van Dijk getting his first goal of the season. Dominik Szoboszlai then finally put the matter to bed deep into added time, after great work from substitute Darwin Núñez.
There were some positives, but the biggest one for Klopp will undoubtedly be the result, which keeps the pressure on Arsenal and maintains a lead over Manchester City. Here are the four things Liverpool.com spotted as the game unfolded.
