LONDON — Liverpool reclaimed the English Premier League lead in an enthralling title race as Alexis Mac Allister’s thunderbolt and a late header by Cody Gakpo secured a nervy 3-1 home victory over bottom club Sheffield United.
Juergen Klopp’s side have 70 points from 30 games, two ahead of Arsenal and three more than champions Manchester City, both of whom won to crank up the pressure.
Manchester United’s season, meanwhile, descended deeper into crisis after conceding two goals in stoppage time in a 4-3 loss at Chelsea. It doesn’t get any easier for Erik ten Hag’s team, which hosts Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday.
A bizarre opener by Darwin Nunez after 17 minutes when he closed down keeper Ivo Grbic and blocked his attempted clearance into the net looked set to open the floodgates as Liverpool sought the win they needed to dislodge Arsenal from top spot.
Allister’s second-half strike inspired Liverpool to victory after Sheffield United had threatened to spring a surprise in the race for the title, AP reported.
Conor Bradley’s own goal had evened the game at 1-1 after Darwin Nunez opened the scoring in the first half.
But Anfield erupted as Allister unleashed an unstoppable effort from the edge of the area in the 76th to restore Liverpool’s lead, and substitute Gakpo made it 3-1 with a header in the 90th.
But the Reds were way below their best and an adventurous United side stunned the Anfield crowd shortly after halftime when a Connor Bradley own goal levelled the scores.
The visitors looked capable of hanging on for a shock point before a loose ball came out to Allister in the 76th minute and he smashed a swerving right-foot effort into the top corner.
Gakpo then made sure of the points in the 90th as Liverpool took another step towards the perfect Klopp send-off as the manager prepares to leave at the end of the season.
“We had to dig very deep, but that is normal. Our attitude was good, the football was not great in a lot of moments,” Klopp said. “Then Macca’s goal was the complete game changer.”
United is 10 points adrift of the safety zone and look set for a swift return to the Championship.
If the key to winning titles is to keep grinding out wins even when performance levels dip, then Liverpool have the knack.
United were supposed to sacrificial lambs under the Anfield lights but gave their hosts a mighty scare until midfielder Allister’s moment of magic settled the nerves.
Liverpool was struggling to quell a lively United side but the Argentine took matters in to his own hands with a finish that sent the home crowd into raptures — his fierce shot spinning and rising into the top corner past a helpless Grbic.
“You’re hoping that shot flies into the Kop and you write off a few more seconds. But that’s why these are world-class players, they go right to the end and more,” a rueful Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder said according to Reuters.
If that goal was spectacular, Liverpool’s opener had been comical as Grbic took too long to make a routine clearance and Nunez jumped to block with the ball rebounding into an empty net off the Uruguayan who had his back to goal.
Liverpool had begun in sloppy fashion with McAtee wasting a first-minute chance for the visitors when his effort was saved by Caoimhin Kelleher.
Despite having a remarkable 83 per cent of possession Liverpool never looked secure and an increasingly confident United equalised when Gustavo Hamer met a cross with a header which glanced in off the leg of the unfortunate Bradley.
Liverpool would not be denied though and chalked up their seventh win in their last eight league games to keep their title destiny in their own hands.
UNITED STUNNED
Boyhood United fan Cole Palmer scored a hat trick as Chelsea came back in the final minutes to stun United.
Deep into stoppage time it looked like the visitors were going to walk away with a morale-boosting win after recovering from a disastrous start.
United had come back from going 2-0 down early through a goal from Conor Gallagher and Palmer’s penalty.
Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes evened the score at 2-2 before halftime and Garnacho headed his team in front after the break.
But Diogo Dalot’s clumsy challenge on Noni Madueke earned Chelsea a second penalty and Palmer converted in the 110th.
The drama wasn’t over yet. A minute later, Palmer’s effort from outside the box was deflected past Andre Onana to seal a spectacular comeback.
