Sheffield United 0-0 Liverpool LIVE: Score, Premier League latest updates, Mo Salah starts

SHEFFIELD UNITED 0-0 LIVERPOOL

Sheffield United XI: Henderson, Basham, Egan, O’Connell, Baldock, Lundstram, Norwood, Fleck, Stevens, McBurnie, Robinson

Liverpool XI: Adrian, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Salah, Firmino, Mane

• Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino start for Liverpool

• Sheffield United reverted to the team which beat Everton at Goodison Park

SHEFFIELD UNITED 0-0 LIVERPOOL

27: Quite interesting to watch Liverpool trying to figure out a way to hurt Sheffield United here. Mohamed Salah has already swapped the right flank for a central position, while Roberto Firmino is dropping to the halfway line to try and find space.

Shot! I think that goes down as Liverpool’s best chance of the match as Mohamed Salah curls one two-yards wide of the target. Dean Henderson enjoying a very relaxed afternoon thus fas – not a single save to make.

24: More power than placement from Robinson, who dives inside the box on the right before thundering an effort five or six yards wide of the post.

21: Love how Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder always looks like he’s had to book a week off work, shell out £500 and attend a wedding where he despises both the bride and the groom.

19: Guess what?! It’s raining again. Surprising, eh?

16: Second corner goes Liverpool’s way after Wijnaldum’s shanked half-volley is deflected wide by one of the SIX red and white shirts inside the penalty area. Nothing comes from it.

13: Enda Steven’s cross is poked behind by Trent Alexander-Arnold and Sheffield United have themselves a corner. All the big boys trundle into the area but Virgil van Dijk wins out.

10: Well, well well… the Blades have started very well indeed. The ginger-bearded Oli McBurnie is the out ball, constantly trying to drift into space down the channels while Liverpool’s full-backs attack.

He sprays it wide for Baldock on the right, but Trent is in the box to head it clear.

8: Chris Wilder told his side not to be starry-eyed when Liverpool came to town – and they’ve clearly listened. Everyone’s sticking to their tasks early, closing down and not allowing the visitors to play.

5: First chance falls to the hosts. McBurnie is given the freedom of the left channel with Trent in an advanced position. He shifts the ball to his right before firing straight at Adrian.

3: Red and white stripes for Sheffield United, Liverpool in their away all black strip. Trent Alexander-Arnold looks to sends Mohamed Salah away down the right but he’s punted it straight out of play.

SHEFFIELD UNITED 0-0 LIVERPOOL

1: And we’re up and running folks! Major upset or a seventh win on the bounce? Funny how this would have been viewed as an easy win for Liverpool when the fixtures first dropped – not so much these days.

The starting XI’s

Sheffield United XI: Henderson, Basham, Egan, O’Connell, Baldock, Lundstram, Norwood, Fleck, Stevens, McBurnie, Robinson

Liverpool XI: Adrian, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Salah, Firmino, Mane

Here they come!

12:25: The players emerge from the tunnel to a raucous crowd inside Bramall Lane. The weather doesn’t seem to have dampened any spirits, nor has it affected the pitch, which looks a peach.

Lightning start

12:20: Jurgen Klopp’s side have a healthy habit of scoring and leading in the first half.

In fact, of their six Premier League fixtures this season – Liverpool have led in every single one – netting a combined ten goals in the opening 45 minutes.

The weather…

12:15: Is grim in Sheffield. It’s grey, windy, cold and hasn’t stopped raining around Bramall Lane. Y’know, one of those days that people think the favourites won’t be able to handle a slippery pitch.

Twitter reaction

Richard: Supposedly, LFC may get kicked out the Carabao Cup due to fielding an ineligible player. When I heard I expected it to be Elliott, SVB or Ki-Jana Hoever etc, but finding out it Pedro Chirivella is weird. He’s been at the club so long.

Callum: Sheffield United have more Liverpudlians in their starting XI than Liverpool. John Lundstram and O’Connell are both Scousers in the Blades starting line up with Liverpool only having one Merseyside born player starting, in Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Riggers: Hopefully Liverpool can start this game well today, usually it takes us a while to wake up in the early kick off games so that’s why I hate them.

Joel Matip praise

12:05: Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has hailed unsung hero Joel Matip as one of the best signings he has made.

In his four years at the club the German has broken the club’s transfer record twice with the signings of Mohamed Salah and Virgil Van Dijk.

He has made five other £30m-plus signings but believes free transfer Matip was the best deal.

“In a world of big transfer fees, to sign a player like Joel Matip on a free transfer is incredible,” said Klopp.

“It was maybe one of the best pieces of business we did in the last few years. Joel was always an incredible talent. He played as an 18-year-old boy for Schalke in the Bundesliga.”

Investigation…

12:00: You hear about this? The Football League is investigating Liverpool to find out if the Premier League club potentially fielded an ineligible player in its third-round League Cup victory over MK Dons on Wednesday.

Possible sanctions could include a fine or Liverpool being removed from the competition. The identity of the player in question was not disclosed but it’s believed to be 22-year-old Pedro Chirivella.

“We are currently considering the matter,” an EFL spokesman said.

What’s on?

11:50: Quite a lot, actually. We have seven Premier League fixtures coming up over the next 8 hours with Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester City in action.

Marco Silva will be wary of another lightning start by City, who struck five times inside the opening 18 minutes in last week’s 8-0 rout of Watford.

The champions, stung by their recent defeat at Norwich, have a clinical, steely resolve about them, scoring 14 goals in their last three matches and it is difficult to envisage anything other than a fourth Premier League defeat of the season for the Merseysiders, who sit three points above the relegation zone.

Twitter reaction

Matt: I’m a Sheffield Wednesday fan but if anyone can beat Liverpool at the moment, it’s the Blades.

Adam: Not sure going with no midfield creativity against a low block side yet again is really going to work. Jurgen Klopp needs to realise workhorses only do so much they need complimenting with quality and creativity the bench is underwhelming as well!

David: Jurgen Klopp not wanting to rush Naby Keita back into Premier League football is the right decision. Probably be on the bench for the Champions League game midweek.

No-nonsense…

11:40: That’s an understatement from Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder. He means business.

So much business, in fact, that he’s suggested his players shouldn’t be swapping shirts with their counterparts.

“I don’t want to look at this game with our players starry eyed,” Wilder said. “Speaking to their players before and ‘can I swap shirts and any chance of signing this?

“We’re in this game on a level playing field, in terms of a Premier League fixture. Of course there’s enormous gaps between the both clubs at the moment and we’re trying to make that gap a little bit closer.”

Team News

11:35: Nice and quick. Blades boss Chris Wilder has selected the same side which defeated Everton at Goodison Park in the last Premier League outing.

Premier League leaders Liverpool are also unchanged from their victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. That obviously means winger Sadio Mane has recovered from his knock.

Divock Origi and James Milner return to start on the bench.

The starting XI

11:30: The line ups have arrived for today’s clash at Bramall Lane. Both sides back to full strength after their midweek Carabao Cup clashes.

Sheffield United XI: Henderson, Basham, Egan, O’Connell, Baldock, Lundstram, Norwood, Fleck, Stevens, McBurnie, Robinson.

Subs: Moore, Jagielka, Besic, Freeman, Clarke, Osborn, Mousset.

Liverpool XI: Adrian, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Salah, Firmino, Mane.

Subs: Kelleher, Lovren, Gomez, Milner, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Lallana, Origi.

Can Blades cut down Klopp?

11:25: Liverpool despatched MK Dons in the Carabao Cup in midweek and Klopp will revert back to his accustomed starting XI as his side resume their Premier League title charge.

The Reds are expected to extend their 100 per cent league start by notching their seventh straight win, but it will be no cakewalk at a sold-out Bramall Lane.

The Blades fought back from 2-0 down to take a point off Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and won at Goodison Park last week.

Can Klopp’s side close to within two victories of Chelsea’s best-ever Premier League start when they won nine on the bounce in 2005?

Morning…

11:20: Hello everyone and welcome to our LIVE coverage of the Premier League.

Anyone been watching the Rugby World Cup? Egg ball isn’t usually my cup of tea but watching Japan’s comeback against world number two Ireland was something special.

Perhaps it could foreshadow (English literature degree coming in handy) a day of upsets?

Liverpool have never won a Premier League match away to Sheffield United, scoring just once in three visits.

Saying that, Liverpool have won their last 12 Premier League matches against newly-promoted sides.

Could be interesting, this.

SHEFFIELD UNITED vs LIVERPOOL – TEAM NEWS

David McGoldrick is a major doubt for Sheffield United as they prepare to host Premier League leaders Liverpool.

The Republic of Ireland international has missed the last two matches with a muscle injury and, at his press conference on Thursday morning, Blades boss Chris Wilder was not optimistic about McGoldrick’s chances of being fit for the Saturday lunchtime kick-off.

Fellow striker Billy Sharp is suspended and will serve the second game of a three-match ban but on-loan Everton midfielder Mo Besic returns to contention having been unable to play against his parent club last weekend.

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker is closing in on a first-team comeback as he returns to training this weekend but he is not in contention for Bramall Lane.

The Brazil international has been sidelined with a calf injury since the opening match of the season on August 9.

Forwards Sadio Mane (dead leg) and Divock Origi (ankle) have both recovered and trained this week but midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri is out with a calf problem.