Mac Allister’s thunderbolt sinks Sheffield United and puts Liverpool top

For a fraught second-half spell at Anfield Sheffield United were level and Liverpool were in peril of a most unexpected slip-up. Step forward Alexis Mac Allister. The World Cup winner restored Jürgen Klopp’s team to the Premier League summit with an exquisite strike as Liverpool yet again held their nerve and their slender command of the title race.

With Gary McAllister appropriately looking on, the Liverpool midfielder settled Anfield’s anxieties after a Conor Bradley own goal had cancelled out Darwin Núñez’s first-half fluke and given Arsenal and Manchester City hope of a shock point for Chris Wilder’s battling side. Mac Allister has now been involved in a Liverpool goal in the last six matches, scoring three and delivering four assists as he steps up to the pressure of winning a Premier League title. Cody Gakpo provided the comfort of a third in the final minute – the 80th goal that United have conceded this season – but this was far from the cruise that many anticipated between the league’s top and bottom clubs.

Liverpool were assisted in their return to the summit by a gift of an early goal from Ivo Grbic. The visiting goalkeeper’s mistake was bad enough in isolation but, to Wilder’s added dismay, it also served to thoroughly undermine a decent start by the league’s bottom club.

Sheffield United came close to opening the scoring inside the first minute when Jack Robinson’s long throw was flicked into the path of James McAtee. With the Liverpool defence caught cold and the on-loan Manchester City forward all alone at the back post it needed a point-blank save from Caoimhín Kelleher to prevent a shock early lead. Kelleher was making his 24th appearance of the season for Liverpool, the same tally as injured first-choice keeper, Alisson, and has proven an invaluable deputy throughout his longest spell in the side. He was threatened again when the resulting corner by Robinson flew across the face of goal but Ben Brereton Díaz just failed to connect at the far post.

Wilder’s deep-lying team were also resisting Liverpool defensively before Grbic’s error. The keeper saved well from Mohamed Salah’s attempted lob having palmed a Joe Gomez cross into the path of the Egypt international and saw Núñez head wide from another Gomez delivery. Otherwise United were testing Liverpool’s patience and ingenuity until former Anfield academy graduate Robinson, who remains the youngest player to appear for the club in the league, played a routine back pass to his keeper. Grbic took a touch and then an age over his clearance, casually taking three steps back and searching out targets before striking the ball. He succeeded only in hitting the incoming Núñez on the thigh and turned around in horror to see the ball bouncing into an unguarded net. Luck was on Liverpool’s side but Núñez deserves full credit for setting off in pursuit of a remote chance as soon as Robinson played the back pass.

The breakthrough unsurprisingly deflated the visitors. Núñez showed good feet to weave his way through a crowded penalty area before shooting straight at Grbic while Mac Allister went close from 25 yards after the game had been halted on 25 minutes to allow players observing Ramadan to break their fast. United’s keeper atoned with a fine save from Dominik Szoboszlai on the stroke of half-time. Kelleher was rarely troubled for the remainder of the first half but saved well from Jayden Bogle’s low drive.

Liverpool controlled proceedings and dominated possession but a slender lead, and a fortunate one at that, kept Klopp and Anfield on edge. The continued cries of “Shoot” whenever Gomez had the ball in the final third once again riled the Liverpool manager, who made it clear to supporters in the Main Stand behind him that this was no time for frivolity.

Several promising counterattacks for United early in the second half added to Klopp’s anxiety, and his fears were realised when one resulted in a shock equaliser. Gustavo Hamer instigated the break by releasing McAtee down the right before sprinting towards the Liverpool penalty area. When the forward’s deep cross arrived at the back post, and just over Brereton Díaz, Hamer’s header back across goal struck Bradley on the shin and rolled through the legs of Kelleher.

Anfield was stunned into silence. And left perturbed when Klopp responded by withdrawing Salah seconds later. Virgil van Dijk almost delivered another captain’s goal with a header from a Szoboszlai corner but Grbic saved well low to his left.

With passes going astray, crosses sailing out of play, Ibrahima Konaté temporarily injured and the visitors defending resolutely, Liverpool were in danger of squandering a glorious opportunity to maintain their lead at the top of the table. But then, as so often this season, Klopp’s team staged a vital recovery.

Andy Robertson, part of the double substitution that followed Bradley’s own goal, was instrumental in the late improvement and Mac Allister’s precious goal. It was his low cross that resulted in a spot of pinball inside the United penalty area and a deflection that teed up the Argentina World Cup-winning midfielder 20 yards from goal. Mac Allister connected perfectly, driving his shot so cleanly and powerfully into the top corner that Van Dijk had his arms raised in celebration before it crashed into the net. Anfield, so tense, went wild. A stunning and significant moment in the title race.

Mac Allister was unfortunate not  to grab a second goal with a 25-yard free-kick that struck the bar. Robertson did provide his second valuable contribution when sending an inch-perfect cross on to the head of fellow substitute Gakpo in the 90th minute. Gakpo steered his header into the bottom corner of Grbic’s goal and, finally, Liverpool were back in pole position.