Liverpool player ratings vs Sheffield United: two score 8/10 but 'leggy' and 'anonymous' 5/10s - gallery

Liverpool moved back within two points of the Premier League summit as they earned a 1-0 victory against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

The Reds were far from their best against the top flight's basement side yet plugged away, with goals from Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai earning all three points. While the performance on a whole wasn't fully convincing, Jurgen Klopp will be delighted that his troops battled to earn a third successive win in what he's described as the most intense period of the season.

Mo Salah spurned a chance to notch his 200th Liverpool goal in the eighth minute when he blazed over the bar. Then four minutes later, Reds keeper Caoimhin Kelleher bailed Joe Gomez out of trouble after he was pilfered off the ball. United launched a swift counter but Kelleher was equal to James McAtee's effort.

Liverpool won plenty of corners in the opening 45 minutes and that's how they would engineer the breakthrough on 37 minutes. Trent Alexander-Arnold whipped in a delivery and van Dijk was left unmarked to calmly volley home. Salah had another opportunity to double to advantage on the stroke of half-time but didn't make any real purchase on his shot and Blades keeper Wes Foderingham smothered.

Salah was then left startled by how he didn't bring up his double century 11 minutes into the second half. United marked poor again from a corner and the Egypt international couldn't have connected with his volley any sweeter - but Foderingham made a stunning save to his left. Chances were few and far between for a substantial period after that before substitute Darwin Nunez was slipped in by Alexander-Arnold in the 77th minute - but was thwarted by the onrushing Foderingham.

United applied pressure in the closing stages but Liverpool dug in to keep the hosts at bay before wrapping up the triumph in stoppage time. Nunez won the ball back deep in enemy territory before picking out Szoboszlai inside the box and he finished with aplomb.

Here's how we rated the Liverpool players.