Thank you very much for joining me.
Here is Andy Hunter’s report from Anfield.
It’s 3-2 to United!
Van Dijk: “When we conceded we changed into a completely different team and started attacking and creating a lot more chances.
“I was looking from just behind him and it was a great strike [from Mac Allister].
“We have to start games much better, more aggressive. That is something we need to work on.
“It is all about the points at this stage – we can’t drop any.
“It is never easy to play against a low block. You have to play fast and get runners in behind. We didn’t do that well.”
STAT ATTACK!
26 - Liverpool have scored 26 Premier League goals this season in the final 15 minutes of matches, 10 more than any other side. Relentless. pic.twitter.com/tLAlWEePbX
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 4, 2024
Mac Allister: “It will be an important game for us [against Man United] because if we want to win something we have to win these games.
“I want to say something about Cody because he has works hard and does his best for the team. I am really pleased he got his goal.”
Gakpo: “A good win in the end. We played a good game in possession but we needed to score a bit more. The win is the most important.
“Both teams won last night and put the pressure on us. We stayed calm. We could do better but Macca scored and that made the difference.”
It is Chelsea 2-2 Man United. Join Tim de Lisle for that funfest.
Full time: Liverpool 3-1 Sheffield United
Was it ever it doubt? A little. But Liverpool are back on top of the league because their quality was too much for the plucky Blades in the end. They battled but there is not much they could do with 17% possession and a barrage of shots.
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90+6 mins: Gakpo lifts a cross into the box but Nunez flicks over.
90+4 mins: A 13th Liverpool corner of the match against a now deflated Sheff U. Robertson sends it in but McBurnie is there again.
90+2 mins: Just your 82% possession and 28 shots from Liverpool thus far. I think, despite Sheff U’s best efforts, we were always expecting the hosts to come good.
90 mins: Seven minutes added on.
Robertson swings in a wonderful cross from deep on the left and Gakpo makes a great run, matching it with a fine header.
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GOAL! Liverpool 3-1 Sheffield United (Gakpo, 90)
GAME. SET. MATCH.
88 mins: Grbic fails to claim a high ball and it bounces down for Nunez but his looped shot goes well over.
87 mins: McBurnie goes into the book for clattering into Konate.
Holgate is withdrawn and Ben Slimani comes on.
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86 mins: Mac Allister lines up the free-kick and pings it against the crossbar. What a spell of form he is enjoying at the moment.
Diaz is the next to have a chance but Ahmedhodzic does well to block him off, evening earning a goal kick for his efforts.
84 mins: Liverpool are looking to finish this match off, meaning they have another corner. Robertson swings it into the box from the left but McBurnie is there head clear. Liverpool come straight back and win a free-kick when Osborn is adjudged to commit handball 25 yards from goal.
Andy Flintoff on the goal: “I know it’s a bit of a caricature of the player, but Frank Lampard made a career on doing similar, standing at the edge of the area waiting to thunderbastard it in.”
82 mins: Another Liverpool corner, their 10th of the match, but Sheff U hold firm.
Gakpo gets his first chance since coming on; he jinks through a couple of defenders but his shot is pretty wild and flies over.
Rupak Pramanik emails: “Macca can play no. 6, no. 10 and no. 8, can pierce through defence with his passing, can launch missiles from his right foot.
“Talk about bargain.”
80 mins: I wonder if any layman could hit a ball as cleanly as Mac Allister if they could make a career from the game just by standing on the edge of the box and whacking a couple in a season with such ferocity.
78 mins: If that proves to be the winner, it would provide an incredible bit of extra impetus going into their final seven matches.
Robertson’s cross into the box is cleared to the edge of the box where Mac Allister is waiting and he sends an absolute thunderbastard of a shot into the top corner.
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GOAL! Liverpool 2-1 Sheffield United (Mac Allister 77)
FOOT LIKE A TRACTION ENGINE!
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76 mins: Robertson tries to charge through three yellow shirts but he is blocked off and earns a free-kick in dangerous position. The set-piece is, however, floated over everyone and Sheff U clear.
74 mins: Elliott cuts in from the right and the onrushing Robertson connects with the cross at the back post but volleys wide.
The quality is dropping in this game and it is turning into a battle. Who has the strength to find a winner?
72 mins: Another corner comes into the Sheff U box but it is scrambled clear. Naturally, it eventually results in another corner. The Blades are looking to slow things down and Trusty hits the deck after a push from Van Dijk. Once again the corner comes to nothing.
Gakpo and Jones are on for Gomez and Szoboszlai.
70 mins: Konate gets up after treatment and returns to the playing field.
Sheff U are creating problems for Liverpool. Arsenal and Man City might disagree but there is little to lose by Wilder’s side going for the win.
68 mins: Konate is down after he is accidentally caught by Orsula. The Sheff U forward slipped in the box and cleaned out the defender in the process.
“Several times this season Liverpool have wasted multiple chances in front of goal only to see it come back to bite them (think Fa cup against Man U). Will this be another?” asks Dechlan Brennan.
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66 mins: Anfield is raucous once more. Bradley wins a corner, which Szoboszlai takes. He finds Van Dijk’s head and he directs the ball goalbound but Grbic makes an excellent save low to his left.
64 mins: The corner eventually comes in but Sheffield United defend it well. The ball comes straight back at them the Blades are defending in numbers and get rid.
62 mins: Liverpool win a corner on the left. The taking is delayed because Hamer is on the deck and needs treatment. He is coming off alongside Brereton Diaz and McAtee; McBurnie, Orsula and Osborn are on.
60 mins: Salah and Gravenberch off, Elliott and Robertson on.
A goal celebrated in north London and Manchester. It should liven up Liverpool.
McAtee pings a cross to the back post which Hamer heads back across goal and Bradley turns it into his own net.
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GOAL! Liverpool 1-1 Sheffield United (Bradley og, 58)
The ball is in the back of the net. This is a surprise.
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58 mins: Klopp is preparing some subs. Elliott and Robertson are stripped and ready.
“Bit concerned about how things are panning out tonight for Liverpool,” says David Martin. “Have a horrible feeling not conceding first will come back to bite un in the arsenal.”
I think you’ll be alright.
56 mins: Sheff U are looking to be a touch more progressive in the second half. I fear it might result in conceding a couple more but at least they are trying.
54 mins: Brereton Diaz does well to win a free-kick on the edge of the box. Hamer eyes it up but Kelleher moves across his goal quickly to save.
53 mins: Sheff U cross the halfway line but there is no one in a yellow shirt anywhere near Brereton Diaz and he is crowded out by Liverpool defenders.
51 mins: It all sounds a little flat inside Anfield at the moment. Salah tries to wake everyone up but his shot from the edge of the box is straight at Grbic.
49 mins: Gravenberch is left in a heap after a tap on the ankle from Holgate. A free-kick is awarded over on the left wing. Szoboszlai whips it in but Grbic claims at the second time of asking.
47 mins: Gomez has another shot, possibly his third of the match, but this one is the worst of the lot and dribbles wide from 20 yards or so.
Second half
Here we go again!
Chelsea are beating Man United 2-0.
Updated
For some reason TNT are showing a chance from the reverse fixture earlier in the season. It’s not massively relevant, lads.
The goal …
Ivo Grbić 𝐆𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐒 Darwin Nunez a goal!
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 4, 2024
The Sheffield United goalkeeper won't want to watch that one back 😬
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/Z0aKTngap1
Half time: Liverpool 1-0 Sheffield United
For all of their domination and possession, Liverpool are only one goal ahead and that game from a fluke. They will be hoping to finish this game off soon after the break.
“What is the mistake statistic (30 mins) called?” Peter Oh asks “xG (expected gaffes)?”
Answers on a postcard at half time.
45+2 mins: Ahmedhodzic stays up after a long throw is cleared and receives a pass over the top, which he controls superbly on the volley but it goes just over. It turns out he is offside.
45 mins: Four mins added.
44 mins: Szoboszlai fires a shot from 20 yards but Grbic sees it clearly and fists well clear.
42 mins: Gravenberch shoots from 20 yards but he slips as he does so and the ball dribbles to Grbic.
“Wow, is Sheffield United playing defensively,” says Richard McGahey. “Mac got the ball 15 yards above the area, defender standing within 2 feet of him who made no effort to challenge for the ball just defending and screening. Guess the theory is that they’ll just do this, hope to keep the score line down and grab some sort of miracle breakaway for a draw.”
There’s always hope …
40 mins: The stats estimate that Liverpool have enjoyed 84% of possession. Utterly dominant.
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38 mins: Gomez is bundled over by Souza in the Sheff U half as the visitors chase the ball to the best of their abilities. No wonder the Blades players end up getting do tired.
36 mins: It is very much all Liverpool. A thankless task for Sheff U.
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34 mins: Mac Allister is the latest to have a shot on goal but his curling effort from 25 yards flies jus wide. I think that is Liverpool’s eighth shot of the game.
32 mins: Grbic has to make a clearance under pressure so decides to take no chances and just whacks it out for a throw.
30 mins: TNT kindly pointing out Sheff U have conceded eight goals this season thanks to mistakes, which is less than ideal. It might explain why they are bottom.
28 mins: McAtee whips in the free-kick from the right but it is an easy claim for Kelleher.
27 mins: Sheff U get across the halfway line. McAtee tries to find Brereton Diaz but Konate gets their first. The defender is then dispossessed by the Chilean and earns a free-kick in the corner.
25 mins: Players head to the sidelines to break the fast.
24 mins: IF GOMEZ SCORES WE ARE ON THE PITCH! The ball comes out for the full-back who takes aim from 25 yards but he drags his shot just wide.
I am not sure Sheff U have touched the ball since the goal.
22 mins: Nunez is surrounding by four Sheffield United players but still bulldozes his way through them and gets a shot away but it is pretty meek and Grbic falls on it, before deciding not to whack his clearance against a Liverpool forward. That is progress.
20 mins: You will not be surprised to hear that Wilder looks mildly miffed on the sidelines. My lord that was awful from Grbic. It can’t do much for morale when your goalkeeper is doing very silly things. I suspect Liverpool will be 3-0 up at half time and start making changes with Man United in mind on Sunday.
Bradley takes aim from 25 yards but his shot goes well wide.
Grbic takes a touch and then whacks his clearance straight at Nunez who sees the ball bounce off his studs and into the net from 18 yards. That is shambolic.
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GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Sheffield United (Nunez, 17)
What a mistake from the goalkeeper!
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16 mins: Nunez sprints to reach a Salah pass and flicks a cross back from the byline but it defeats defenders and attackers alike. I am starting to think it is a case of when Liverpool open the scoring rather than if.
14 mins: The Blades are just trying to frustrate Liverpool here and I am not 100% confident it will work as a concept for too long.
Souza brings down Gomez in cynical fashion but gets away without a being cautioned. I am not sure the referee will be so liberal with the next challenge. The resulting free-kick is headed out to Salah on the edge of the box but he flashes a shot wide. He had 12 shots v Brighton Sunday. He will hope he is more clinical today.
12 mins: Diaz gets an inch or two of space and fizzes in a cross but Holgate is there to clear.
If you like your teams compact, then Sheffield United are a team for you. They currently have eight players within about 10 yards of one another on the edge of the box.
10 mins: Without Endo, Mac Allister is tasked with the role of being the deepest defensive midfielder. The Argentinian is more than happy to drop in into space to collect the ball from the goalkeeper and start attacks, especially because he is being permitted lots of space.
8 mins: There is another chance for Liverpool as Gomez sends in a cross from deep but it is a little high for Nunez who can only glance a header wide. Liverpool look to be in control of proceedings after a slow start in the opening two minutes.
6 mins: Grbic comes for a cross but flaps the ball straight to Salah who takes aim but the goalkeeper recovers to tip over.
4 mins: We have a break in player after Gravenberch and Souza clash heads.
Liverpool did concede after 87 seconds on Sunday, so they might need to work on being quicker out of the blocks.
“If things go to form then we’re going to see the irresistible force meeting the all-too-unresisting object,” says Charles Antaki. “I’m not sure that that Greek philosopher had much to say about that, but I guess if pressed they’d probably say 4-0.”
2 mins: The resulting corner is worked in a similar manner with a flick at the front but Breteton Diaz can’t get a final touch at the back. Is this going to be as good as it gets for the Blades?
1 min: Sheffield United have the kick-off and desperately try to force themselves up the pitch. It works and Robinson gets an early chance to launch a throw-in into the box. The ball is flicked on at the front post and McAtee is free at the back but his shot is blocked by Kelleher. What a start that would have been.
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Kick off
Peep! Peep! Peep! Here we go!
The teams are on their way!
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“That bench!” exclaims Dean Kinsella. “I think everyone on LFC’s would be included in the Sheffield first XI. The haves and the have-nots of football accurately mirroring the society in which it exists.”
Alternatively, you can join Tim de Lisle for Chelsea v Man United.
Mark Bowen emails: “I’m sure Holgate will get a warm welcome back to Anfield after he tried to frame Firmino a few years back.”
Let bygones be bygones.
Jurgen Klopp is taking it all in his stride. “I am happy with our situation and I don’t think you can compare these things, a lot of things have changed since then [Liverpool’s title win in 2019-20].
“If you start the season you hope for things like this, but it is a long journey and we want to make the final step as well.”
We expecting a pause after 25 minutes at Anfield tonight to allow Muslim players to break fast during Ramadan.
I was at Anfield on Sunday. It was quite hard work for Liverpool because Brighton were well organised but the result rarely looked in doubt.
Chris Wilder also speaks: “We have got to have a structure and we have got to enjoy the challenge ahead of us. I am sure that plenty of players would love to be in the position that our players are in tonight, in front of an incredible crowd.”
“We have managed to nick a couple of draws after a difficult evening against a top Arsenal team [they lost 6-0 at home]. We have got to perform tonight and bring our A-game to get anything, this is the Premier League and if you are going got get the shock result we have to be at our A-game. I have been a little critical regarding the substitutions we have had to make; not tactical ones, but physical ones - it is important that I freshen it up.”
Captain Jack (Robinson) has a cunning plan and he’s been telling TNT all about it. “It’s going to be a tough game, we have got to be at our very best tonight,” Robinson says. “We have had a couple of results lately so it’s a chance to take that confidence into tonight.”
Starting lineups
Liverpool (4-3-3): Kelleher; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Gomez; Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Gravenberch; Salah, Nunez, Diaz.
Subs: Adrian, Jones, Gakpo, Elliott, Tsimikas, Robertson, Clark, Danns, Quansah.
Sheffield United (5-3-1-1): Grbic; Bogle, Holgate, Ahmedhodzic, Trusty, Robinson; Vini Souza, Arblaster, Hamer; McAtee; Brereton Diaz
Subs: Foderingham, McBurnie, Norwood, Osborn, Slimane, Larouci, Curtis, Osula, Brooks
It’s all about attitude.
Hello!
If you are looking to move two points clear at the top of the Premier League table, it always helps to be hosting the very worst team in the division. Arsenal and Manchester City won last night to keep the pressure on Liverpool but, with Sheffield United in town, will not be too concerned about the outcome later.
The Blades have won three times all season and have thrown away leads in injury-time in their past two outings, so the signs are not good for Chris Wilder and his soon-to-be Championship squad. But surely they can provide one last hurrah for their fans by securing an unlikely victory to make this dismal season somewhat memorable.
Liverpool had to toil a bit on Sunday to down Brighton but they got there in the end. Anfield was rocking because they know they have a chance of sending Jurgen Klopp on his merry way with a second title in his back pocket, which would be a lovely finish for the German.
Let’s hope for a cracker!
Kick-off: 7.30pm BST
