Liverpool’s Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum celebrates scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League football match between Sheffield United and Liverpool at Bramall Lane in Sheffield, northern England on September 28, 2019.
Paul ELLIS / AFP
Keeper’s howler preserves Liverpool’s perfect start [video]
Dean Henderson’s momentary lapse in concentration could turn out to be a critical moment in the story Liverpool’s 2019/20 season.
Liverpool’s Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum celebrates scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League football match between Sheffield United and Liverpool at Bramall Lane in Sheffield, northern England on September 28, 2019.
Paul ELLIS / AFP
Sheffield United put in a real shift when they played host to Liverpool in a lunchtime fixture on Saturday 28 September but a single mistake cost them the match.
Having just been denied by a stunning block from Andy Robertson at the other end, Dean Henderson couldn’t hang on to a shot from Gini Wihnaldum that should have been a routine save.
Wijnaldum was well placed to latch onto a loose ball headed away from the six-yard box by the blades defence but didn’t make the best contact, however his skiddy shot found it’s way through traffic to beat the keeper. Henderson, who otherwise had a great game, was slow to get down and fumbled the ball into his leg and into the back of the net.
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Watch Henderson’s howler
Henderson produced a brilliant save to prevent Mohamed Salah from claiming an insurance policy as the clock wound down. Liverpool held on despite some nervous moments to notch a seventh straight Premier League win. Liverpool became only the second side to win seven consecutive matches from the start of the season after Chelsea’s 2005/6 team that won nine in a row.
If Liverpool can beat Leicester City next weekend (5 October), they will have a chance to equal the record set by Chelsea when they face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday 20 October.
Liverpool were far from their usual fluent selves and were lucky that veteran striker Leon Clarke blazed over with the goal at his mercy late on.
Liverpool boss happy with the result
Coach Jurgen Klopp said afterwards that he liked the win because Liverpool had to work hard for it.
“I like that, ” said Klopp when asked what he thought of his side’s performance on the day, ” if you have to work hard for it, it just feels more valuable.
“This is a tough place to come, Sheffield, Chris Wilder has made this a tough place to come. If you don’t score early and they have to open up it is tough to get momentum. We had the momentum early but we lost the ball and our rhythm and we didn’t accelerate at the right times.
“At Half time we tried to show the boys that there were spaces that they hadn’t used and things got a bit better, but it was very very tough.”
Liverpool’s next assignment is a Champions League meeting with Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg at Anfield.
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