Liverpool's Diogo Jota celebrates scoring his side's second goal of the game with Trent Alexander-Arnold (second right) and Roberto Firmino (right) during the Premier League match at Anfield, Liverpool. (Image: Peter Byrne/PA Wire/PA Images)

Robbo’s honour at 100 as Liverpool’s comeback “character” rises to fore

Comebacks and milestones were the order of the day for the Reds after they were made to work for all three points against Sheffield United.

Anfield played host once more as Liverpool looked to extend their formidable unbeaten run at the ground and return to winning ways after two league games without victory.

Despite Sheffield United‘s position in the bottom three ahead of kickoff, Chris Wilder’s men were not ones to wilt from a challenge and forced Liverpool to dig deep to emerge unscathed.

Yet another puzzling VAR decision was to assist in their cause, with Sander Berge duly converting from the penalty spot beyond a returning Alisson.

With time on their side, however, the Reds would navigate through a sloppy period to see Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota strike to complete the turnaround – much to the relief of those of a red persuasion.

The win, the fourth of the season, was particularly vital after rivals Man City dropped points for the third tie in five games and ensured Jurgen Klopp‘s rightly capitalised.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, October 24, 2020: Liverpool’s Diogo Jota celebrates with team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold after scoring the second goal to give his side a 2-1 lead during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Sheffield United FC at Anfield. The game was played behind closed doors due to the UK government’s social distancing laws during the Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic. (Pic by Propaganda)

The occasion marked Jota’s first league start at Anfield and as he did on his debut at the ground, he popped up at just the right time to clinch the winner and showcased how valuable he can be to the team moving forward.

And the 23-year-old wished the stands were full for the fixture as he celebrated another win for the club when speaking to LFCTV post-match:

“We knew how important it was to get back to winning ways after two games without a win in the Premier League and this game was really tough. We needed to come from behind so I think in the end it is a massive three points for us.

“Like I said before when I scored my first [goal], I just wish these stands could be full to make it even more special.

“But I think in the end the most important [thing] was that my goal was important to seal the victory, so I’m very pleased with that.”

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, October 24, 2020: Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino (L) celebrates with team-mate Mohamed Salah (R) after the equalising goal from a rebound to level the score at 1-1 during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Sheffield United FC at Anfield. The game was played behind closed doors due to the UK government’s social distancing laws during the Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic. (Pic by Propaganda)

For the man who joined him on the right-flank in Trent Alexander-Arnold, it was a case of lauding the “character” of the team after yet another setback from VAR.

The No. 66 also took time to congratulate full-back partner Andy Robertson after the Scot played his 100th league game for the club in the win:

“It was tough to take, them setbacks are hard to overturn, but we’ve got that character in the team and we’ve shown our resilience and went and got two.

“Two good goals [and] we had a few more chances to score but I think the three points is what we wanted the most.

[…]

“It just goes to show how good of a player he is and the team that we’re part of. I think we’re all lucky to be part of this team and a player like Robbo, we wouldn’t be where we are without him. Massive congratulations to him.”

The left-back himself took to Instagram after the game as expressed the honour of representing the Reds in the Premier League 100 times, a milestone made all the better with a “hard-fought” win:

It was a feeling shared by Joe Gomez and Jote who both made it known that it was no walk in the park:

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Hard fought 3 points #LFC ???

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Very hard one ? We keep on going ??

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For Gini Wijnaldum, Jordan Henderson and Trent, it proved to be “a good Saturday night” in the end as a “big three points” were added to the tally:

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Get in Reds!! ?? +3 ?? #YNWA #LIVSHU

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Big 3 points ?? #YNWA

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A good Saturday night ??

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And Alisson wrote what everyone was feeling, sharing his delight at being back in action after missing the last three games – it’s great to have you back, Ali!

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It’s great to be back! ?? #AB1

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There is no doubting that the No. 1’s return is a major boost for the Reds as they look to find consistency at the back, with the Brazilian a key pillar of this Liverpool side.

After a hard-fought win against the Blades, the Reds will need to use their 72 hours of recovery wisely as a Champions League tie against Midtjylland awaits on Tuesday at Anfield.