WHERE’S Andy Gray when you need him? He would have been in his “what a hit son” element at Anfield.

It is nearly two decades since Gray uttered his most famous sentence when Steven Gerrard thumped the wonder goal against Olympiacos that saved Liverpool’s Euro dream.

Liverpool put together an impressive comeback to beat Sheffield United at Anfield

Alexis Mac Allister scored a wondergoal for Liverpool and dominated in midfield

Sheffield United remain bottom of the Premier League table

Few have come close since, and none have had such a devastating impact as that thunderbolt which ended with Champions League glory in Istanbul.

Yet the net-busting rocket from Alexis Mac Allister to get the Reds back in front just when their title dream was slipping away certainly did.

The 20-yard powerblast rescued a game they should have strolled, but were in serious danger of blowing against the Premier League’s basement boys to boot.

Forget Cody Gakpo’s 88th minute header. That made things look a whole lot easier than they were for such a huge chunk of the ultimate squeaky bum second half.

It was the jaw-dropping strike which nearly took the roof off the Kop which was the real difference.

Jurgen Klopp knew it, Mac Allister’s team mates knew it… the whole of Anfield knew it. So, too, did everyone of a Manchester City and Arsenal persuasion.

Conor Bradley’s bolt-from-the-blue own goal looked destined to give Sheffield United the unlikeliest point of their lives, and hand Liverpool’s title rivals a dare-not-dream shot in the arm.

Bradley had turned Gustavo Hamer’s innocuous and harmless header across the Kop box beyond his own keeper, and a game the Reds looked certain to romp had suddenly become an embarrassing cock-up.

Then suddenly, with panic aplenty in every corner of this most famous of arenas, the ball dropped to Mac Allister lurking on the edge of a packed penalty area.

The Argentine midfielder will never strike a sweeter ball than the thumping drive which flew past Ivo Grbic and into the top corner.

They have witnessed some wild celebrations here over the years. They have enjoyed some never-to-be-forgotten European nights.

The second Mac Allister’s rocket rippled the net – nearly took it from its moorings more like – will live as long in the memory as any of them.

Because up to that point it was seriously threatening to become an evening they looked back on for all the wrong reasons.

Quite how it had come to that, only Liverpool will know, to be honest. They may have needed a freak goal to go ahead, but until Hamer and Bradley’s unlikely combo, it was a lead they never came close to losing.

A goal that will give Blades keeper Grbic plenty of horror moments of his own, too – and totally out of nowhere.

When Jack Robinson rolled a ball back to him from just inside his own half, there wasn’t even a hint of danger.

Although Darwin Nunez made an effort to stop him, the Uruguayan striker’s sprint was more of a showpiece than a quick pace.

Perhaps that was the issue. The Croatian goalkeeper perhaps might have avoided blushing if he had been forced into a slash downfield.

However, he hesitated and lingered until Nunez finally caught up to him, and you can imagine the rest.

When Grbic got rid of the ball, the Reds forward was facing the other way and was astonished to see how lucky he was as it struck him and rolled directly into the empty net.

Hardly one for any Goal of the Season compilation, but when you’re chasing the title, as priceless as a 30-yard screamer.

You know what they say about everything going against you when you’re down. And with a combination of luck and laziness like that, it’s only a matter of time before they are.

From then on it was surely a case of how many. The Blades cleared it, Liverpool attacked. But ominously they kept wasting the openings.

And when the lead is a single goal, there is always some hope, however faint and flickering. And as long as the Blades were in touching distance, they had a prayer.

One that was rewarded 12 minutes after the break when the Blades took a puncher’s chance swing and caught the Reds squarely on the chin.

Hamer set things rolling with a marvellous ball swung to James McAtee, on loan from Manchester City, on the right flank and ten yards in the opposition half.

Even more stunning was his delivery, a looping, twirling cross that went beyond the far post, leaving Liverpool suddenly desperately short of players.

Bradley stuck out a leg as Hamer leaped to head across goal, and it bobbled between Caoimhin Kelleher.

All of a sudden, it was square. All of a sudden, the title was fading. Mac Allister came out of nowhere to save the day, akin to a devoted crusader.

What a success, my son. Gakpo’s header may have provided some breathing room in the dying minutes, but that was also the moment when everything shifted once more. On to Old Trafford next.