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An early lead for Sheffield United was not enough as defending champions Liverpool came back from one-goal down to win the game 2-1 at Anfield, courtesy of goals from Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota.
A defensive lapse from Fabinho in the 13th minute of the game gifted Chris Wilder's men a penalty, which was dispatched by Sander Berge into the bottom corner, beating Alisson Becker. It was a dream start for any side coming into Anfield, however, Sheffield was only able to hold on till the 41st minute.
Roberto Firmino pounced on a rebound from Sadio Mané's header to make it 1-1 for Liverpool, few minutes before the half time whistle.
Liverpool had the momentum coming into the second half, and they made sure they were on the front foot throughout the next 45 mins. Eventually, it was Diogo Jota scoring an immaculate header in the 64th minute which proved to be the winner.
On that note, let's dive into the five talking points from a fixture which proved to be a tough for either side; a smash-and-grab encounter.
#5 Virgil van Dijk already proving to be a huge loss for Liverpool
A defensive midfielder playing centre-back alongside a 23-year-old centre-back is not the most ideal scenario for a team defending their Premier League title, but Jürgen Klopp has found himself in a position where he has to manage and get the best out of what he has.
Not having Virgil van Dijk was a blessing for Sheffield United, who rely on their aerial adeptness to overload the box, put regular crosses, win headers and score scrappy goals consistently.
While the centre-back pairing of Joe Gomez and Fabinho was incredibly efficient on the ground, making 14 clearances, the duo only won a combined 10 aerial duels throughout the 90 minutes, 3 less than Oliver McBurnie (13). The Reds face Michail Antonio's West Ham next weekend, a player (if fit) who would be counting the days until he gets to bully a weakened Liverpool defence.
#4 Sheffield United's strength from last season is now their weakness
Sheffield United, in their first season in the Premier League after being promoted, kept a staggering 13 clean sheets throughout the campaign; third-most in the 2019-20 season. 6 games into the 2020-21 season and Chris Wilder's men are without a clean sheet. They are struggling to keep things tight at the back as his defenders continue to underperform.
The long term injury to Sheffield United's best centre-back, Jack O'Connell, hasn't helped their cause either as Chris Wilder has stated that the 26-year-old could be out for the whole season.
Wilder had worked magic last season with the squad he had at his disposal, and now it's time he rewinds it as Sheffield United are 19th in the Premier League, waiting for a miracle to happen.
#3 Liverpool boosted by Alisson's return
Alisson Becker was named in the Liverpool starting XI against Sheffield United, which came as a surprise to many. The Brazilian was suffering from a shoulder injury and was set to be sidelined until at least the end of the month.
However, Alisson returned as he was declared fit to play against Sheffield United, bringing much contentment to Liverpool's back four and Jürgen Klopp. His impact was evident.
The 28-year-old commanded the box during set-pieces and came out charging, sniffing out any danger in his area. While his shot-stopping is undoubtedly excellent, the Brazilian goalkeeper is a composed player when it comes to playing out from the back, establishing confidence in his defenders.
#2 Sheffield United extend their winless streak to 6 league games
Things have gone downhill at Bramall Lane for Chris Wilder and co, as they have now lost five of their last six Premier League games, bagging only a point which came against Fulham (20th) at home. These are troubling times as Sheffield have also lost Jack O'Connell to a long term injury, with the squad already looking depleted.
The Blades have dropped points against Wolves, Leeds United, Aston Villa, Fulham, Arsenal and Liverpool, winning a total of zero games. They host Man City at Bramall Lane next weekend before travelling to Stamford Bridge the week after, as the fixture list only gets tougher for Wilder and his team.
Before Christmas arrives, Sheffield United could be well and truly struggling to stay up in the Premier League; a team which finished in the top 10 last season and fought tooth and nail to secure a European spot.
#1 Sadio Mané leads Liverpool; the "mentality monsters" show their class
In a game where Jürgen Klopp made a tactical tweak, Sadio Mane really stepped up to the plate. Klopp's 4-2-3-1 was as a result of not having midfielders in his ranks because both Thiago and Naby Keita were sidelined for the game.
Salah switched between the centre-forward/ right winger position throughout the game and he did not have the freedom he naturally receives with Sheffield United marking him aggressively. However, Sadio Mané showed why he is one of the most important players for Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool.
Creating a goalscoring opportunity for Roberto Firmino to score the equaliser and setting up Diogo Jota to score the winner was precisely the kind of performance required by Sadio Mane. His explosive bursts down the left flank added with his unpredictability with and without the ball at his feet caused plenty of problems for the robust Sheffield United defence.
An efficient Liverpool attack backed by a resurgent midfield was enough to secure Liverpool an important win. 'Mentality monsters' Liverpool showed exactly why they are the champions, bagging a gritty win on home soil and not collapsing while defending small leads.
