Sheffield United v Liverpool: Premier League – live!

Half-time analysis, courtesy of Gary Naylor. “I was amazed last week at Goodison by Sheffield United’s clarity of conception and discipline of execution – and it looks like they’re doing another number today. Ironically, it’s only the lack of a cutting edge that stops the Blades becoming real top-half contenders.”

The half-time whistle goes. A fine 45 minutes for United, who have asked Liverpool some serious questions. They’ve been magnificent. The league leaders by contrast will no doubt be on the end of a severe talking-to at half-time … and yet despite it all, Sadio Mane really should have two goals to his name. Funny old game, as a wise man once said. It promises to be a belter of a second half!

45 min: And now it’s United’s turn to go close! Robinson crosses deep from the left. Lundstram rises highest at the far post, heading across goal. McBurnie rises, forcing Matip to head over his own crossbar. The corner comes to nothing.

43 min: What an escape for United! Liverpool break quickly and are three on one, with only Basham between their famous front line and goal. Firmino, in a central position, tees up Mane to his left. Mane has to score – again – but batters his low shot against the left-hand post! The ball’s bundled out for a corner, and nothing comes from the set piece. And so Liverpool still haven’t had a shot on target!

42 min: Baldock crosses low from the right. Basham tries a fancy backheel but misses. McBurnie has a swing but can only send the ball out for a goal kick, miles wide right of the target. He wants a corner off Van Dijk, but he’s not getting one. He’s furious.

40 min: Norwood gifts Robertson the ball in the midfield. Robertson tries to release Mane down the left but overhits the pass. Goal kick. This is pretty scrappy right now.

38 min: Wijnaldum takes up possession, just to the left of the United D, and curls a shot into the top corner of … the stand behind the goal. Liverpool still haven’t got a shot on target. Very poor.

37 min: Stevens crosses deep from the left. Robinson wins an aerial battle with Matip, six yards out, but mistimes his header, the ball skimming off the top of his neep and out for a goal kick.

36 min: Salah wins a footrace with O’Connell down the inside right, spins and pulls the ball back for Alexander-Arnold, who crosses for Robertson. The resulting shot, across the face of the United goal, flies wide right. Still not great, but at least better from Liverpool.

34 min: Liverpool finally carve out a chance … and it was so simple. Van Dijk creams a long pass down the middle, a huge gap in the United defence. Mane is clear! He’s got to score, but severely shanks his shot from just inside the box, the ball harmlessly squirting wide right. What a chance gone begging! Henderson still hasn’t been forced to make a save.

32 min: The rain has stopped. Sun streams across Bramall Lane. One of those lovely autumn days.

30 min: Henderson and O’Connell run into each other. Henderson falls over then springs up with a face on. They have a brief exchange of views. Then Salah goes over, fouled by Stevens, and Fleck follows up with an accidental toe-poke to his opponent’s arm. Salah winces in pain, he’s not happy either. The temperature has suddenly gone up a notch or two.

28 min: United are right on top of their game here. Lundstram has a lash from the right of the Liverpool D. Robertson is forced into a dramatic sliding block. The crowd turn it up another notch; they sense there’s something in this for the Blades!

26 min: Salah nicks the ball off Stevens and glides in from the right, curling a low shot across Henderson and out for a goal kick. It’s the best Liverpool have managed so far. It wasn’t much.

25 min: Alexander-Arnold hoicks a wild right-wing cross out of play for a goal kick. A sign that Liverpool are already getting a little bit frustrated at United’s stubbornness? Perhaps; on the touchline, Klopp is screaming in the serial-killer (his words) style.

23 min: Slapstick stylings in the midfield, as Egan slips on the wet turf. Firmino looks to prod the ball past him; he’d be free, albeit with half of the pitch still to cover. But Firmino’s first touch hits the stricken Egan smack on the top of his noggin, an inadvertent block that stops Liverpool in their tracks. I’d like to see the pair of them try that again.

21 min: Norwood splits the midfield with a pass through the middle for Fleck, who turns and slides the ball down the inside-right channel for Robinson. The striker reaches the edge of the box and rasps a shot across Adrian and well wide left. He should have done better, with Liverpool extremely light at the back. The hosts ripped the league leaders apart there.

19 min: Some quite sensational play from Stevens out on the left wing. He brings down a high ball, turns, and sashays his way past a couple of Liverpool challenges. His flick left, intended to release Robinson, doesn’t come off, but that was a lovely run, and he gets the warm applause he deserves.

17 min: Van Dijk tries to win a header from the corner. No joy. Mane attempts an overhead kick, and the ball brushes McBurnie’s arm, but the striker was standing right next to him and his arms were in a natural position. No movement. Liverpool make no claim. VAR doesn’t have the brass neck to poke its neb in. We play on.

16 min: Liverpool get into the United area for the first time. A little bit of pinball ends with Wijnaldum taking a shot from the edge of the box. It’s deflected wide right for Liverpool’s first corner of the match.

15 min: Fabinho plays a cute first-time ball down the right to nearly release Salah. But Egan comes across quickly to block. A fine challenge, because for a second there, it looked as though Salah would get there first and tear clear on goal.

14 min: Liverpool have

enjoyed
had 76% of possession so far. They’re struggling to do anything with it. Sheffield United are on point.

13 min: Norwood hits the corner long. Baldock meets it at the far post, but can only eyebrow harmlessly out for a goal kick. United are well up for this.

12 min: That very early flurry aside, Liverpool haven’t got going yet. Alexander-Arnold sprays a right-to-left diagonal pass straight into touch. United fly straight up the other end, Stevens winning the first corner of the match out on the left.

10 min: A slack Alexander-Arnold pass in the midfield allows Robinson to tear upfield. He makes up for his mistake by heading clear when Baldock crosses from the right. This is a really impressive start by the newly promoted Blades. Liverpool don’t look comfortable at all right now, and Jurgen Klopp is already up on the touchline, arms folded, brow furrowed.

8 min: Another long ball down the United left nearly releases McBurnie. Liverpool are leaving a lot of space wide open on this flank. McBurnie runs immediately into trouble this time, but he might get some joy here today.

7 min: United are knocking it around with confidence too, mind. O’Connell showcases the home team’s ambition by pressing Fabinho near Liverpool’s left-hand corner flag. The visitors clear, but they had to work hard to do so.

5 min: The crowd going even more, that is. Plenty of bedlam here. An old-school football atmosphere is such a beautiful noise. Meanwhile Liverpool stroke it around the middle in the sterile style.

3 min: But it’s United who get the first shot away! Stevens sends McBurnie away down the left. The big striker cuts inside, past Alexander-Arnold and Matip, and tries to curl one into the top right. It’s straight at Adrian, who gets his hands warmed. That’s got the crowd going!

2 min: Liverpool press and apply some early pressure. Henderson, Firmino, Mane, Alexander-Arnold and Robertson pinging it around nicely. But the hosts hold firm on the edge of their box.

And we’re off! The late-summer rain falling heavier now. The sun still shining through. Liverpool get the ball rolling as the home faithful belt out the Greasy Chip Butty song. Everyone giving it plenty.

The teams are out! A banging atmosphere at a bulging Bramall Lane as the Blades and the European champions take to the field of play. The drizzle can’t dampen it. We’ll be off in a minute!

Jurgen Klopp speaks, and he’s very complimentary about his hosts. “They have had good results, they’re playing good football, they’re playing their football. It is important for teams to find a way and they have found it and it makes life uncomfortable. But when we are on our absolute top, it’s difficult to find a team like us with desire and intensity. Most of our team has had a week off to prepare, so hopefully we will see that. It’s a big one for Sheffield United, but it’s a big one for us as well.”

Some breaking news this morning … in case you missed it.

Fair’s fair, the kitman’s tidied up. And got the bevvies in too.

Chaotic scenes in the Liverpool dressing room. These pre-match glimpses into the inner sanctum usually showcase clubs at their professional best, crisp kits freshly laundered, neatly folded or hung, always presented to the highest standard. Is someone recovering from a big night out? Hey, we all have off days. Anyway, from this disorder we can deduce that Liverpool will be playing in third-choice black, hosts Sheffield United the redmen today.

If It Ain’t Broke dept. It’s an unchanged side for Sheffield United, Chris Wilder naming the same XI that did for Everton last weekend. And it’s an unchanged side for Liverpool, too. It’s the same XI sent out at Stamford Bridge last Sunday. We’ve ignored the midweek League Cup line-ups, but y’know.

Sheffield United: Henderson, Basham, Egan, O’Connell, Baldock, Lundstram, Norwood, Fleck, Stevens, McBurnie, Robinson.
Subs: Luke Freeman, Jagielka, Mousset, Osborn, Clarke, Moore, Besic.

Liverpool: Adrian, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson, Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Salah, Firmino, Mane.
Subs: Lovren, Milner, Gomez, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Lallana, Origi, Kelleher.

Referee: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire).

Sheffield United’s best work so far this season has been on the road. A commendable opening-day draw at Bournemouth; a magnificent two-goal comeback at Chelsea to salvage a draw; a win at Everton achieved easily, despite (according to their manager) not even playing that well. By contrast, the Blades have lost their last two league matches at Bramall Lane. This afternoon presents a fine chance to snap that run.

Against the 100 percent league leaders and reigning champions of Europe? OK, if you put it like that, it’s going to be a heck of a test for Chris Wilder’s newly promoted side. But history has to count for something, and Liverpool haven’t won at Bramall Lane since the opening day of the 1990-91 season, when second-half goals from John Barnes, Ray Houghton and Ian Rush secured a 3-1 victory. (For the completist: Brian Deane scored for Dave Bassett’s side.) It’s a six-game undefeated run for United, who have a 50 percent win rate over the stretch.

History only counts for so much, of course. And the current Liverpool have been clinical on their travels in the league, seeing off Southampton, Burnley and Chelsea without too much trouble. They’ll be desperate to make it seven wins from seven and move eight points clear of champions Manchester City, at least for a couple of hours. But then the hosts will be desperate themselves. Not necessarily for points in a match that qualifies as a free hit – they’re comfortable in mid-table right now – but for a statement result that would send a few reverberations up and down the Premier League table. All set up nicely, then. It’s on!

Kick off: 12.30pm BST.