Liverpool faced off against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane earlier today hoping to secure a win on the road. The Reds began the match on the front foot but failed to create any chances during the early stages of the contest. However, Mane squandered two glorious goal-scoring opportunities to give Liverpool the lead soon after, which meant that both sides went into the half-time break with nothing to split them.
The second half was more of the same with the home side looking to catch the Merseyside outfit on the break. Chris Wilder’s side created some decent chances to score, but they were denied by some brave defending from Jurgen Klopp’s men. Georginio Wijnaldum finally managed to break the deadlock when his powerful strike was fumbled in by the Sheffield keeper Dean Henderson. The match ended with the visiting side emerging victorious with a narrow 1-0 scoreline.
Let’s take a look at how each Liverpool player performed during the match against Sheffield United.
GK: Adrian – 7/10
The Spanish keeper did his job well when called into action. He was also accurate with his distribution from the back and has got a clean sheet to show for his efforts.
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold – 6/10
The English defender looked defensively vulnerable in the first half. However, he came back to put in a much-improved defensive shift in the second. On the offensive end, the English full-back failed to create too many chances which was unlike him.
CB: Joel Matip – 7.5/10
The Cameroon centre-back was calm in possession of the ball and made a few impressive solo runs in the Sheffield half. He put in a dominant shift defensively as well to earn a well-deserved clean sheet from this encounter.
CB: Virgil Van Dijk – 7.5/10
The Dutch international won most of his aerial duels and was a commanding presence inside his own half. He organised the Liverpool defence effectively to keep the Blades at bay today.
LB: Andrew Robertson – 7.5/10
The Scottish full-back saw a lot of the ball in the first half, but he struggled to deliver any decisive crosses into the Sheffield box. He was defensively solid and put in a tireless shift inside his own half. Robertson was also responsible for making a last-gasp goal-saving block to save his team’s blushes in the second half.
CM: Jordan Henderson – 6/10
The English midfield ace was full of energy and running in midfield but picked up an unfortunate injury which saw him get replaced by Divock Origi in the 64th minute.
CM: Fabinho – 8/10
The Brazilian talent was a rock at the heart of the Liverpool midfield and won a lot of 50-50 duels to establish his team’s dominance at the centre of the park.
CM: Georginio Wijnaldum – 8/10
The Dutch midfielder covered a lot of ground and linked up play well with his teammates in the Blades half. His powerful volley in the 70th minute saw the Sheffield goalie make a horrendous mistake which gave Liverpool the all-important lead. Wijnaldum’s goal was enough for the Reds to earn maximum points at Bramall Lane.
RM: Mohamed Salah – 6/10
The Egyptian winger completed some dangerous dribbles in the opposition half but lacked the composure inside the Sheffield penalty area to score a goal. He missed a fantastic opportunity to seal the game for his team in the second half when his goal-bound attempt was denied by the Blades goalie, Henderson who made amends for his earlier mistake.
ST: Roberto Firmino – 6/10
The Brazilian forward had to drop deep in midfield to receive the ball and played some decent passes during the game. However, he was not a significant goal-threat in the final third, which will disappoint him.
LM: Sadio Mane – 5/10
The Senegalese got two excellent chances to find the back of the net. However, he was wasteful with his finishing and his impact on the game faded in the second half.
Substitutes:
LM: Divock Origi – 7/10
The Belgian striker looked bright on the ball as he was always willing to take on his marker down the left flank and deliver a telling ball in the final third.
CM: James Milner – N/A
The English veteran did not have enough time to make an impact.
CM: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – N/A
He came on to run the clock down for the away side.
