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The Premier League weekend started off with a tightly contested encounter at Bramall Lane. The Premier League leaders were pushed to their limits by a resolute Sheffield United side who will ultimately feel hard done by the end result.
Liverpool would luckily take all three points through a Georginio Wijnaldum volley in the 71st minute, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. The volley only became a goal because Sheffield United keeper Dean Henderson let the ball through his legs after initially looking like he had caught it.
The win maintains Liverpool’s perfect start to the league, as they’ve won seven out of seven games thus far. The scariest part is, they’re not even playing at their best yet. As for Sheffield United, they stay 12th in the league several points clear of the relegation zone.
Here are 5 talking point from Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Sheffield United.
#5 Direct play from Chris Wilder’s men
Sheffield United have gained many plaudits this season for their style of play. For those who don’t know, the Blades are one of the few teams in world football that play with overlapping centre-backs. With a back five, United’s outer centre-backs take it in turns to overlap alongside or past the wingbacks. Against Liverpool, they showcased that same bravery. In addition, Wilder’s men added some variety to their attacking play by seeking to play long balls down the flanks.
Liverpool is synonymous with playing attacking full-backs stationed high up the pitch. Chris Wilder evidently felt that this was an aspect to be exploited. Consequently, he instructed Callum Robinson and Oliver McBurnie to run down the flanks, looking to use that space. This tactic made Liverpool think twice about committing men forward, thus reducing their potency. Today, Sheffield United proved that there’s more than one way to play the Reds.
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#4 Liverpool initially stifled
It’s a credit to Sheffield United that Jurgen Klopp had to change his team’s shape several times throughout the game. The league leaders were left confused and out of ideas on how to break down Chris Wilder’s team for most of the match. So much so that this was the first time since January that the Reds hadn’t had a single shot on target in a first half. United was able to stifle arguably the best attack in world football.
Liverpool is returning to Merseyside knowing they were in perhaps the toughest game of their campaign thus far. The Reds were often limited to long shots outside of the box, something that’s never really been apart of their arsenal. Across the 90 minutes, Jurgen Klopp’s men only managed 4 shots on target, one of their lowest totals in a long time.
#3 Off day for Sadio Mane
It’s been regularly said that Sadio Mane is one of the most underappreciated players in world football. The numbers this man produces and the performances he consistently puts on are on another level. However, his teammate Mohamed Salah has gotten all the headlines ahead of him, undeservedly some would say.
Despite arguably being Liverpool’s best player, the Senegalese had a day to forget at Bramall Lane. The wide forward missed two golden chances that on another day, he would have buried. Both of these moments came in the first half. One was a long ball over top from van Dijk, leaving Mane 1v1 with Henderson, only for him to completely mishit his shot and skew it horribly wide. The other came from only 6 yards out with the whole goal to aim for and he somehow managed to hit the post. Today wasn’t a true reflection of his ability and he’ll be looking to set things right mid-week. Across the 90 minutes, the 27-year-old attempted 4 shots, misplaced 9 passes and was dispossessed once.
#2 Inverted Wingbacks
This is the first time in Jurgen Klopp’s reign at Liverpool that he’s been forced to use inverted wingbacks. Such was the resilience and astuteness of Chris Wilder’s men, Liverpool went into half time wondering what tactical surprise they could spring on their opponents. Although they had dominated most of the possession, Sheffield United had not only stood strong but also almost punished Liverpool at the back.
Come the second half, Klopp opted to go with a back three with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson on the opposite flanks to their normal positions. Klopp felt that this would open up more crossing angles for Liverpool, as his wingbacks could cut inside to cross instead of having to go on the outside where the Blades were already doubling up. This change in system was a testament to Chris Wilder’s exceptional tactical setup.
#1 Dean Henderson error
The Sheffield United keeper experienced the one moment every player fears. The moment where all your team’s hard work is undone by your mistake. Up until that point, Dean Henderson hadn’t had much to do. Most of Liverpool’s shots were off target, meaning Henderson hadn’t been called into action yet. The first time he was, he gifted Liverpool a precious three points.
After keeping Liverpool at bay for one hour and 10 minutes, Georginio Wijnaldum drilled a low volley towards goal, in which Dean Henderson appeared to pick up, only for the ball to shockingly go through his legs. The mistake came out of nowhere and seemed harsh considering the defensive work the team had put in all game. A few minutes later, Henderson redeemed himself by stopping Mohammed Salah in a 1v1 scenario. The 21-year-old who is on loan from Manchester United has been an integral part of Chris Wilder’s team and he will hope that this was just a blip.
