Alexis Mac Allister scored a stunning goal as Liverpool survived a big scare from bottom club Sheffield United to win 3-1 at Anfield and return to the top of the Premier League on Thursday.

Liverpool are now two points clear of Arsenal and have a three-point gap on defending champions Manchester City with eight games to go.

The Reds were stuck in second gear at the start of the second half after Ivo Grbic’s blast against Darwin Nunez had given them the lead before the break.

Sheffield United – who had blown a golden chance to score after 32 seconds through James McAtee – capitalised on Liverpool’s lack of intensity, with McAtee atoning for his miss with the cross for Gustavo Hamer to force an own goal from Conor Bradley.

But for the 25th time this season Liverpool came up with a goal in the final 15 minutes of a Premier League game as Mac Allister eased the nerves around Anfield with a brilliant finish from the edge of the area.

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He whacked the crossbar from a free-kick not long after but Liverpool got over the line with Cody Gakpo heading in a third – and 26th in the final stages this season – from fit-again Andy Robertson’s cross.

Speaking after the game, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said: “We scored one of my favourite goals ever for 1-0. A striker from time to time needs that kind of thing. I ask (Nunez) quite a lot to press the opponent and it’s pretty rare you get close enough to get this kind of block.

“We controlled the game but there are different ways to control again and today was not the right one. Not enough creating. I don’t expect we have chance after chance after chance but you have to accelerate, speed up, underlap and overlap, and that’s what we did (after 60 minutes).

“The game was a difficult one to get rhythm but we should have had a better rhythm than we had. In the end, all good. Probably all the other games are now different, especially the next one.”

Liverpool are back in action on Sunday, taking on fierce rivals Manchester United.

Sheffield United also play on Sunday, hosting Chelsea in the Premier League.

The Star