Liverpool vs. Sheffield United: Post-Match Analysis

Paul has been at the match, so the article received via email is unlikely to be the final version. In the meantime, Andrew Beasley and Daniel Rhodes have thoughts, stats and videos from the game.

Post-Match Thoughts

Paul Tomkins

To follow

Andrew Beasley

I saw a tweet on Wednesday afternoon asking if you’d take a 1-0 in advance tonight, or play the game and take the risk of not winning in the pursuit of improving the goal difference.

I’d have taken 1-0 beforehand and I definitely would have for much of the second half. What a frustrating performance, albeit with credit to Sheffield United for defending manfully throughout.

While such things can shift once Opta review the stats, as it stands the Reds had 83.1 per cent possession, the most by any team in a Premier League match since 2003 when records began. Every single Liverpool player, even the substitutes, completed more passes than every Sheffield United man. Yet all the Reds had to show for 708 completed passes was 1.4 expected goals in open play. Sterile domination, exhibit A.

The majority of the analysis is for subscribers only.