Liverpool again had to improvise to get 11 players on the pitch against a Sheffield United team destined for the Championship, following last week's groin injury to skipper Jordan Henderson that will keep him out for the next two months and compassionate leave for keeper Allison Becker. Nat Phillips came in at centre back while Spanish stopper Adrian took over from the Brazilian.
Adrian didn’t put a foot wrong, though Phillips, along with his centre-back partner, Ozan Kabak, struggled at times against Olly Burke and Oli McBurnie, which doesn’t augur well for the crunch Chelsea game next Thursday, if Phillips and Kabak are the duo to start, given the West London’s team speedy and quality attackers – Timo Werner, Olivier Giroud, Mason Mount and Callum Hudson-Odoi – who will surely be too much for Liverpool’s inexperienced pairing. Hopefully, for the Reds, Fabinho will be back.
The Reds could have been two or three up at half time had it not been for several good saves from the Sheffield United goalkeeper, Aaron Ramsdale, though it wasn’t long into the second half when Liverpool took a deserved lead. After 48 minutes, good play from Trent Alexander Arnold – who had a superb game going forward – just managing to reach the ball before it fully crossed the goal line, hooking it into the centre where Roberto Firmino back heeled the ball into the middle of the area where Curtis Jones lay in wait to firmly shoot into the back of the net.
The match was sealed 15 minutes later when Jones and Firmino were involved in some intricate passing on the edge of the Sheffield United area that resulted in Firmino dancing past several opposition defenders before his scuffed shot deflected off Kean Bryan and over Ramsdale for Liverpool’s second.
Sheffield United never threatened to get back into the game. In fact, Liverpool continued to have the better chances, with Andrew Robertson bound to be disappointed with a shot from outside the area that he blazed over bar and a header from the penalty spot that ended tamely in Ramsdale’s hands.
Late in the game, James Milner came on for Thiago Alcantara and Naby Keita for Curtis Jones, which was more good news for the Reds, both Milner and Keita having been out for long periods with injury. Diogo Jota was due to return to the bench today, having been out since December, but the Portuguese striker became ill overnight. He will be available, however, for the game against Chelsea on Thursday.
