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Liverpool returned to winning ways in the Premier League with a 2-0 victory over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.<\/p>\nLiverpool returned to winning ways in the Premier League with a 2-0 victory over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.<\/p>\n
Curtis Jones and a Kean Bryan own goal ended the Reds\u2019 run of four successive league defeats and heaped more misery on the bottom-placed Blades.<\/p>\n
Bryan\u2019s own goal, which was originally credited to Roberto Firmino, was Liverpool\u2019s 7,000th goal in top-flight football and secured a win which moves Jurgen Klopp\u2019s champions within two points of fourth-placed West Ham.<\/p>\n
Sheffield United\u2019s 21st defeat from 26 games leaves them 15 points from safety with a seemingly impossible battle to beat the drop.<\/p>\n
Liverpool left out goalkeeper Alisson Becker on compassionate grounds following the death of his father Jose in Brazil.<\/p>\n
The Liverpool players wore black armbands in support of Alisson as Adrian made his first Premier League appearance since the Merseyside derby at Everton on October 17.<\/p>\n
Skipper Jordan Henderson was also on the sidelines following groin surgery and Nat Phillips started in central defense alongside Ozan Kabak.<\/p>\n
The home side handed the captaincy to the returning David McGoldrick and the striker tested Adrian within the opening five minutes.<\/p>\n
Oliver Norwood\u2019s free-kick was flighted to the far post and McGoldrick met it to force a point-blank stop from Adrian, although a late offside flag would have ruled out the effort anyway.<\/p>\n
Liverpool should have led after 10 minutes when the ball kindly for the unmarked Firmino.<\/p>\n
The Brazilian advanced into a clear shooting position but failed to beat the outstretched arm of Aaron Ramsdale, even though the Blades goalkeeper appeared to go to ground prematurely.<\/p>\n
Adrian made a smart save to push McGoldrick\u2019s deflected effort around a post, but the action was increasingly at the other end as the half wore on and Liverpool dominated.<\/p>\n
Ramsdale smothered efforts from Jones and Mohamed Salah before making a flying save from Trent Alexander-Arnold after the England full-back had pounced on an error from Ethan Ampadu.<\/p>\n
Adrian was beaten after 36 minutes when Kabak slid the ball past him, but the Turkey international\u2019s blushes were spared by an offside flag against Oli McBurnie.<\/p>\n
Ramsdale\u2019s resistance continued with another stop to foil Georginio Wijnaldum, and the follow-up opportunity was lost as Firmino chose to pass rather than fire the rebound goalwards.<\/p>\n
Liverpool must have wondered at half-time what they needed to do to beat the inspired Ramsdale.<\/p>\n
But the answer came within three minutes of the restart as Alexander-Arnold crossed from the right and Jones drilled home his second Premier League goal into the bottom corner of Ramsdale\u2019s net.<\/p>\n
Sheffield United players felt that the ball had gone out of play before Alexander-Arnold had reached it, but a VAR check confirmed that was not the case and the goal stood.<\/p>\n
Sadio Man\u00e9 had an effort ruled out for offside before McBurnie squandered a glorious chance to equalize, the unmarked Scotland striker heading Norwood\u2019s cross wide from eight yards out.<\/p>\n
It was to prove a costly miss as Liverpool doubled their advantage after 65 minutes.<\/p>\n
Firmino played one-twos with Jones and Mane and evaded a posse of home defenders to find a shooting angle and give Liverpool breathing space.<\/p>\n
But television replays showed the ball was going wide before deflecting off Bryan, denying Firmino his seventh goal of the season.<\/p>\n