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Diogo Jota’s header in the second half helped Liverpool overtake Sheffield United.
The visitors took an early lead when Sander Berge converted a penalty in the 12th minute after Fabinho fouled Ollie McBurnie inside the box.
But shortly before halftime, the Reds tied when Roberto Firmino tapped Aaron Ramsdale to stop Sadio Mane’s header effort to roll the ball home.
Mohamed Salah thought he had given the Premier League champions the advantage at the hour mark only for the VAR to nullify the Egyptian’s exquisite strike.
Two minutes later, Jota scored in his second home outing for Jurgen Klopp’s team when he found a Mane cross to the far post with a precise header.
These were Anfield’s key talking points:
Jurgen Klopp sometimes tries to turn things around in Liverpool’s starting XI.
But rarely has the German deployed a line-up containing four out and out in the middle before Sheffield United’s last visit to Merseyside.
A rare departure from the favored 4-3-3 system allowed Klopp to experiment with a front line that incorporated Diogo Jota along with the usual trident.
Watching the 23-year-old fit in with Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, it’s hard to believe that he has only been at Anfield for just five weeks.
He also became the first player to score in his first two Liverpool home games since Mane accomplished the feat during the 2016/17 campaign.
The compensation for having such an attractive attack was a midfield that the visitors were able to get around with remarkable ease during the first half.
But Jota’s move to a starring role is a promising sign of things to come.
Remember when Liverpool were supposedly the sole beneficiary of the VAR?
Technology was apparently a driving force in helping deliver a long-awaited Premier League title to Anfield exactly three months ago.
But the days of ‘LiVARpool’ already seem to have come to an end with the champions now on the receiving end of four contentious rulings this period.
Last weekend’s Merseyside derby turned into a watershed moment and a visit from Chris Wilder’s team proved there is no favoritism from video officials.
Scrutinizing position for Fabinho’s challenge on Ollie McBurnie rather than legitimacy led the Reds to lag behind early on against the Blades.
Clearly, the old logic no longer applies in the most unpredictable of Premier League seasons, including Liverpool winning every VAR call-up.
Even in his absence, Virgil van Dijk remains an inescapable focal point.
The Dutch international’s long stint on the sidelines has raised the question of which of his teammates will be able to fill that considerable void.
Joe Gomez offered a potential response with an overall defensive display that, while not entirely flawless, contained several of Van Dijk’s hallmarks.
His performance in the first half will not live long in memory, yet the 45-minute period that followed provided a revealing glimpse into Gomez’s evolving style.
Limiting United substitute Oliver Burke to a succession of half chances underscored his strength in dominating the penalty area.
No one expects Gomez to provide a similar solution for Liverpool during his hiatus with Van Dijk, but he clearly has no trouble getting to the plate.
Games behind closed doors remain an uncomfortable concept for fans who have not enjoyed the privilege of attending stadiums since mid-March.
So is the idea that they should pay £ 15 a head to watch them at home.
The controversial Premier League pay-per-view idea was widely boycotted by fans ahead of Liverpool’s debut in the on-demand format.
However, many chose to invest their money in a more worthwhile cause by donating the price of watching the game live to Fans Supporting Foodbanks.
By the time Mike Dean blew the final whistle, the account had overshadowed its initial £ 10,000 goal nearly ten times, a remarkable effort from all involved.
