Diogo Jota’s second-half header helped Liverpool overcome Sheffield United.
The visitors took a shock early lead when Sander Berge converted a 12th minute penalty after VAR deemed Fabinho fouled Oli McBurnie just inside the area.
But shortly before half time, the Reds drew level when Roberto Firmino seized on Aaron Ramsdale parrying Sadio Mane’s headed effort to roll the ball home.
Mohamed Salah thought he’d given the Premier League champions the lead on the hour mark only for VAR to overrule the Egyptian’s exquisite strike.
Two minutes later, Jota scored in his second home outing for Jurgen Klopp’s side when he met a Mane cross to the far post with a pinpoint header.
Here were the key talking points from Anfield:
Klopp’s four-fold gamble vindicated
On occasion, Jurgen Klopp tries to shake things up in Liverpool’s starting XI.
But seldom has the German fielded a line-up which contains four out-and-out attackers in its midst before Sheffield United’s latest visit to Merseyside.
A rare deviation from the favoured 4-3-3 system allowed Klopp to experiment with a forward line that incorporated Diogo Jota alongside the usual trident.
Watching the 23-year-old dovetailing with Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, it is 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 outings since Mane achieved the feat during the 2016/17 campaign.
The trade-off in having such an enticing attack was a midfield which the visitors were able to bypass with remarkable easy during the first half.
But Jota’s move into a starring role is a promising sign of things to come.
VAR no longer on the Reds’ side
Remember when Liverpool were supposedly the sole beneficiaries of VAR?
Apparently the technology was a driving force in helping deliver a long-awaited Premier League title to Anfield exactly three months ago.
But the days of ‘LiVARpool’ already appear to be at an end with the champions now on the receiving end of four contentious rulings this term.
Last weekend’s Merseyside derby became a watershed moment and a visit of Chris Wilder’s side proved that there is no favouritism from video officialdom.
Scrutinising the position for Fabinho’s challenge on Ollie McBurnie rather than the legitimacy of it led to the Reds falling behind early on against the Blades.
Clearly the old logic no longer applies in this most unpredictable of Premier League seasons, including the one about Liverpool winning every VAR call.
Gomez already filling Van Dijk void
Even in absentia, Virgil van Dijk remains an inescapable focal point.
The Holland international’s prolonged spell on the sidelines has thrown up the question as two which of his teammates will be able to fill that sizeable void.
Joe Gomez offered up a potential answer with an overall defensive display which, while not quite flawless, contained several of Van Dijk’s hallmarks.
His first half showing will not live long in the memory yet the ensuing 45-minute period provided a revealing insight into Gomez’s evolving style.
Limiting Oliver Burke, United’s lively substitute, to a succession of half-chances underlined his robustness in commanding the penalty area.
No one expects Gomez to provide a like-for-like solution for Liverpool during their Van Dijk hiatus but he clearly has no problems stepping up to the plate.
Fans turn PPV boycott into a positive
Behind closed doors games remain an uncomfortable concept for supporters who have not enjoyed the privilege of attending stadiums since mid-March.
So, too, is the idea that they should pay £15 a head to watch them at home.
The Premier League’s controversial pay-per-view idea became widely boycotted by fans ahead of Liverpool’s debut outing in the on-demand format.
Many, however, chose to invest their money in a more worthwhile cause by donating the price for watching the game live to Fans Supporting Foodbanks.
By the time Mike Dean blew the final whistle, the tally had eclipsed its initial £10,000 target almost tenfold – a remarkable effort from all concerned.