๏ปฟTwo Spaniards in north London and Manchester would have been pacing up and down their living rooms, feeling more confident for the upset of the season, as the clock inside a nervous Anfield ticked towards the final ten minutes.
Sheffield United, in the bottom of the league, had answers for every query posed at them, and Liverpool were far from their best. The Kop was quite upset, shots were hurried and going awry, and Jurgen Klopp was pacing his technical area with flailing arms.
The Reds had taken an early lead, but it had only come from pure chance when goalkeeper Ivo Grbic’s attempted long ball deflected in off Darwin Nunez’s backside. In the second half, a resolute Sheffield United team leveled the score and looked set to make history.
Dreams of ending the Klopp era with a 20th English league title were threatening to be tossed and blown. But then came the magic moment from the man of the moment on Merseyside, player of 2024 for Liverpool and perhaps even the Premier League: Alexis Mac Allister.
Everything the Argentine touches turns to gold, with this the sixth straight game in which the World Cup winner has scored a goal or come up with a match-winning assist. None of those previous moments were as rip roaring as this, though.
Alexis Mac Allister (centre) was Liverpool’s saviour with a moment of magic against Sheffield United at Anfield
The midfielder lashed in a bouncing ball on the edge of the area when top spot threatened to slip away from the Reds
Klopp displayed the relief of all in Anfield as his side returned to the top of the Premier League
When asked about Mac Allister, Klopp responded, “I would rather you all use your eyes and say what you see.” He is clearly a fantastic player and a very essential player. Simply put, I’m overjoyed that Liverpool has him. After the game, I said “Gracias” to his father.With his crisp hit of the ball and almost forceful net-cutting effort, it was a piledriver of a strike reminiscent of, dare I say it, Steven Gerrard in his heyday. And in the space of an eyeblink, anguish gave way to a cacophonous bliss.It remains to be seen if it will have the same impact as that 2004 “Gerrard, you beauty, what a hit son” stroke against Olympiacos. However, similar to Vincent Kompany’s goal against Leicester in 2019, it might be the difference that swings the championship in his team’s favor.
That may seem silly considering there are still 24 points up for grabs, but with Liverpool on the verge of losing the lead and providing a major boost to Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola, it felt like a potentially pivotal moment in this exciting three-team contest for the championship.Although Klopp’s team was in control and created numerous opportunities, they left the door open for what some conceited supporters had naively assumed would be a surefire victory and opportunity to increase the goal differential, much to the manager’s dismay.Even the most upbeat onlookers in north London and Manchester would have been hard-pressed to hope that bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United would do them a favor here, but rival supporters would have jumped off the couch as soon as the Blades blew a wonderful opportunity forty seconds into the match.
Man City loanee James McAtee spurned a golden opportunity in the first few seconds of the contest
Ivo Grbic’s clearance was closed down by Darwin Nunez and fortuitously rebounded into the net
The Uruguayan took his tally in the Premier League to 11 with the opener for the Reds at Anfield
Gustavo Hamer’s header was diverted by Conor Bradley into his own net for the equaliser
James McAtee, a 21-year-old Manchester City loanee who was once dubbed a “David Silva clone,” was a storyline waiting to happen as he sprinted into a gap at the back post following a long throw. But Caoimhin Kelleher blocked his shot at point blank range. The team led by Chris Wilder deserves a ton of credit for their tenacious defense, but in the 17th minute, Grbic made a hilarious mistake that cost the Blades a lead when he attempted a long ball and it bounced in off Nunez’s backside. Klopp noted Nunez’s pushing. However, Blades equalized shortly before the hour mark when Conor Bradley was caught off guard by Gustavo Hamer’s header at the back post, resulting in an own goal. McAtee’s barnstorming run spearheaded a bold and sweeping counterattack that was worthy of an equalizer.
Mac Allister has now had seven goal contributions in his last six Premier League appearances
Cody Gakpo expertly steered his header past Grbic late on to make the points safe for the Reds
Grbic made up for his previous error, and Blades watched in vain as Andy Robertson and Virgil van Dijk missed excellent chances. However, Mac Allister stepped on to a ricocheted clearing and fired a thunderbolt into the top corner.
To put the game to bed, Cody Gakpo added gloss with his first league goal since February in the 90th minute with a header. “Here, I’ve watched teams completely disassembled,” Wilder remarked. Anyone can be taken to the dry cleaners by them.
They’re simply excellent operators, with a manager and audience that are fully committed to the same goals. Although it is always painful to lose, I have been pleased with our three performances after the Arsenal loss.