Liverpool returned to winning ways in the Premier League at a struggling Sheffield United.

The reigning champions largely dominated proceedings, only to find Blades goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale in inspired form during a frustrating first half.

But the Reds finally broke the deadlock three minutes after the break, when Curtis Jones rifled home from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s half-cleared cross.

They doubled that lead on 64 minutes as Roberto Firmino’s deflected effort looped over a helpless Ramsdale to record their 7,000th Premier League goal.

Jurgen Klopp’s side remain sixth in the table but sit just two points behind West Ham in the race for the final Champions League qualification spot.

Here were the key talking points from Bramall Lane:

Reds back in top four race

 

On paper, last season’s Premier League runaway champions winning against a team destined for the drop would not appear much to write home about.

For Liverpool, however, arresting four straight league defeats with a third-choice goalkeeper and a 14th different centre-back pairing carries its own mental hurdles.

Jurgen Klopp’s side deserve much credit for passing this test and looking much closer to the team that previously went 44 top-flight games unbeaten.

The obvious caveat is that they faced a beleaguered Sheffield United side still propping up the table with a 15-point gap that seems impossible to overcome.

But the significance of the Reds’ win should not be underestimated, and not just because they avoided five consecutive league defeats for the first time since 1953.

They peppered the Blades’ goal throughout and looked solid at the back – two compliments that anyone has rarely been able to pay Liverpool recently.

Tougher tests still await but if Klopp’s side consistently play as well as they did here, it’s hard to see them not making that all-important top four spot.

Adrian steps up to the void

 

Again, it’s impossible to discard the fact that Liverpool were facing the bottom and lowest-scoring side in the league when critiquing their performance.

But given he’s been a lightning rod for criticism at times, Adrian deserves to be singled out for praise for doing all he had to do at Bramall Lane with no fuss.

An early David McGoldrick header drew an impressive save from the Spaniard standing in for Alisson, who is on compassionate leave, and the injured Caoimhin Kelleher.

And soon after, Adrian pushed away McGoldrick’s awkward deflected shot for a corner, which he then dealt with thanks to a commanding punch.

The way he sensibly cleared when Oliver Burke found himself in on goal late on rounded off a pretty faultless showing from the veteran.

Though given little to do in-between, this was a far cry from the goalkeeper who had shipped nine in his only two previous league games this season.

And given Klopp’s side were without a clean sheet in their last seven away league games, conceded 13 goals in that time, a shut-out here was not to be sniffed at.

Already, Liverpool have let in 34 league goals this term, one more than in the entirety of last season.

With that in mind, while Adrian won’t keep his place long-term, he should be commended for a professional showing after his rocky recent outings.

Jones still shining in midfield

 

If any Liverpool player has raised their game this year, it’s surely Curtis Jones, who has repeatedly shown a maturity belying his age in their midfield.

And again, the 20-year-old was a stand-out for the Reds at Bramall Lane, primarily for his involvement in both of Liverpool’s goals.

Phil Jagielka’s clearance from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross may have presented Jones with the ball on a plate, but he still kept his cool to calmly stroke it home.

And his neat interplay with Firmino sowed the seeds for their second, before the Brazilian dovetailed with Sadio Mane and saw his deflected shot hit the net.

Before receiving a well-earned rest on 80 minutes, Jones not only netted his fourth goal of the season, but boasted an impressive 96 per cent pass accuracy.

With Jordan Henderson and Fabinho out and Thiago Alcantara still finding his feet, Jones’ integration into midfield has felt as seamless as it has been timely.

Even when all of his options in that department are fit and firing, you would be hard-pressed to find justification for dropping Jones given his recent sparkling form.

Extra dimension still needed up-front

 

If you could be critical of anything about Liverpool here, it might be their profligacy in attack.

With 16 shots and eight on target at Bramall Lane, Klopp may only be slightly disappointed that the margin of victory was not greater.

Firmino missed an early one-on-one, while Giorginio Wijnaldum, Jones and Alexander-Arnold were all thwarted by Ramsdale in a one-sided yet goalless first period.

This meant Liverpool have now scored just one first-half goal in their past 11 league fixtures.

And while Firmino rediscovered his scoring touch, and Liverpool forced countless saves from Ramsdale, it could and should have been a more emphatic win.

While more clinical than in last weekend’s Merseyside derby, for instance, Klopp will be banking on Diogo Jota providing an extra spark in attack when he returns.

The summer signing netted nine goals in 17 appearances following his summer move from Wolves, but has not played since December due to a knee injury.

He was set to return at Bramall Lane, but missed out through illness – a blow, given what an asset he proved to Liverpool in the early months of the season.

With the ability to play wide or centrally, Jota adds another facet to Liverpool’s attack that their usual front three has perhaps lacked lately, if not at Bramall Lane.

If only to freshen things up and keep the likes of Firmino and Mane on their toes, his return to action can’t come soon enough.