Premier League
LIVERPOOL reignited their hopes of a top-four finish by ending a four-game losing streak with a 2-0 victory at rock-bottom Sheffield United last night.
Goals from Curtis Jones and a Roberto Firmino strike deflected in by defender Kean Bryan moved the Reds two points off the Champions League places.
‘Plenty of people have written us off. That’s fine. With all the problems we have had we’re still around the exciting places,’ said boss Jurgen Klopp.
‘This was about us showing we’re still there. We play Chelsea on Thursday, we have to show it again. We have to win football games, we know that.’
LIVERPOOL made a vital return to winning ways in the Premier League with a 2-0 victory over Sheffield United to get their top-four bid back on track.
Curtis Jones and a Kean Bryan own goal ended a run of four successive league defeats and heaped more misery on the bottom-placed Blades.
The second goal, originally credited to Roberto Firmino, was the Reds’ 7,000th in top-flight football and secured a win which moves Jurgen Klopp’s men within two points of fourth-placed West Ham.
United’s 21st defeat from 26 games leaves them 15 points from safety.
Liverpool left out goalkeeper Alisson on compassionate grounds following the death of his father, with Adrian given a first league appearance since the Merseyside derby in October.
It was his opposite number Aaron Ramsdale who appeared on a one-man mission to keep out the visitors, denying Firmino, Jones, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold while Adrian turned David McGoldrick’s deflected effort around a post.
But within three minutes of the restart, Alexander-Arnold crossed from the right and Jones drilled home his second Premier League goal. Home players felt the ball had gone out of play but VAR ruled the goal was good.
Sadio Mane had an effort ruled out for offside before Oli McBurnie squandered a glorious chance to equalise.
It was to prove costly as Liverpool made it 2-0 on 65 minutes, Firmino playing one-twos with Jones and Mane before firing home, via a key deflection off Bryan, to seal the three points.