Mac Allister's lightning strike sinks Sheffield United and puts Liverpool on top | first division

For a tense second half at Anfield Sheffield United They were tied and Liverpool were in danger of making an unexpected mistake. Step forward Alexis Mac Allister. The World Cup winner returned Jürgen Klopp's side to the top of the Premier League with an exquisite goal as Liverpool once again kept their cool and their meager dominance in the title race.

With Gary McAllister looking on appropriately, the Liverpool midfielder calmed Anfield's anxieties after a Conor Bradley own goal canceled out Darwin Nunez's first-half chance and gave Arsenal and Manchester City hope of a surprise point for Chris Wilder's team. Mac Allister has had a hand in one goal for Liverpool in the last six games, scoring three and providing four assists as he faces the pressure of winning a first division. Cody Gakpo provided the consolation of a third in the final minute (the 80th goal United have conceded this season), but it was far from the cruise many anticipated between the top and bottom clubs in the league.

Liverpool were helped by an early goal from Ivo Grbic as they returned to the top. The visiting goalkeeper's mistake was serious enough on its own but, to Wilder's dismay, it also served to completely undermine a decent start for the league's bottom club.

Sheffield United came close to opening the scoring in the first minute when Jack Robinson's long shot was put into the path of James McAtee. With Liverpool's defense cool and Manchester City's on-loan striker alone at the far post, a close-range save from Caoimhín Kelleher was necessary to prevent a surprising early lead. Kelleher was making his 24th appearance of the season for Liverpool, the same number as injured first-choice goalkeeper Alisson, and has proven to be an invaluable substitute during his longest spell in the team. He was threatened again when Robinson's resulting corner crossed the goal, but Ben Brereton Díaz failed to connect at the far post.

Wilder's team also resisted Liverpool defensively in the face of Grbic's mistake. Mohamed Salah's attempted lob was well saved by the goalkeeper after placing a Joe Gómez cross into the path of the Egyptian international and saw Núñez head wide after another pass from Gómez. Otherwise, United were testing Liverpool's patience and ingenuity until Robinson, a former Anfield academy graduate who remains the youngest player to appear for the club in the league, played a back pass. routine to his goalkeeper. Grbic took a touch and then an eternity to clear it, casually taking three steps back and looking for targets before hitting the ball. He only managed to hit Núñez in the thigh and turned in horror to see the ball bounce into an unprotected net. Luck was on Liverpool's side, but Nunez deserves full credit for coming out for a long-shot chance as soon as Robinson made the back pass.

The advance, as expected, deflated the visitors. Núñez showed good feet to force his way through a crowded penalty area before firing straight at Grbic, while Mac Allister went close from 25 yards after play was stopped in the 25th minute to allow players watching the Ramadan break their fast. The United goalkeeper was rewarded with a good save from Dominik Szoboszlai on the stroke of half-time. Kelleher rarely struggled for the rest of the first half, but he made a good save on Jayden Bogle's low shot.

Liverpool controlled the game and dominated possession, but a slim – and fortunate – lead kept Klopp and Anfield guessing. The continuous shouts of “Shoot” every time Gómez had the ball in the final third once again irritated the Liverpool manager, who made it clear to the fans in the main stand behind him that this was no time for frivolity.

Several promising United counter-attacks early in the second half increased Klopp's anxiety, and his fears were realized when one of them resulted in a shock equaliser. Gustavo Hamer instigated the break by releasing McAtee on the right before running into the Liverpool penalty area. As the striker's deep cross reached the far post, and just over Brereton Díaz, Hamer's header crossed the goal and hit Bradley in the shin and rolled between Kelleher's legs.

Anfield was stunned into silence. And he was left distraught when Klopp responded by withdrawing Salah seconds later. Virgil van Dijk almost scored another goal for the captain with a header after a Szoboszlai corner, but Grbic saved well low to his left.

With passes going astray, crosses offside, Ibrahima Konaté temporarily injured and the visitors defending resolutely, Liverpool were in danger of squandering a glorious opportunity to maintain their lead at the top of the table. But then, as is often the case this season, Klopp's team staged a vital recovery.

Andy Robertson, part of the double substitution that followed Bradley's own goal, was instrumental in the late improvement and Mac Allister's lovely goal. It was his low cross that resulted in a pinball inside the United penalty area and a deflection that took the World Cup-winning Argentine midfielder 20 meters from goal. Mac Allister connected perfectly, sending his shot so cleanly and powerfully into the top corner that Van Dijk raised his arms in celebration before crashing into the net. Anfield, so tense, went crazy. A surprising and significant moment in the title race.

Mac Allister was unlucky not to score the second goal with a 25-yard free kick that hit the crossbar. Robertson made his second valuable contribution by sending a perfect cross onto the head of fellow substitute Gakpo in the 90th minute. Gakpo headed into the bottom corner of Grbic's goal and Liverpool were eventually back in pole position. .