GEORGE BALDOCK, Baldock, he slipped on his flipping a**e,
It was gifted to Mo Salah, George Baldock, Baldock…
Liverpool celebrate as they take the lead against Sheffield United at AnfieldCredit: EPA
THE unfortunate Blades defender exorcised the ghost of Steven Gerrard as his stumble helped nudge Liverpool closer to their first title in 30 years.
Baldock’s slip gifted Salah the Reds’ opener after just four minutes as they made it a year unbeaten in the League.
And Gerrard can breathe a huge sigh of relief as the incident evoked memories of his Anfield slip which gifted Chelsea’s Demba Ba a goal in 2014.
Blues fans still sing about it to this day and you can bet Kop fans will adapt it to Baldock after this.
It makes you believe the football Gods have finally given their blessing for Kop to seal their first top-flight crown since 1990.
If Liverpool do not win the title this season they never will.
And while they received a huge slice of fortune here it has nothing to do with luck.
Mo Salah won on hand to open the scoring at Anfield with a tidy finishCredit: Rex Features
Jurgen Klopp’s men are not only the best team in Europe but the world . . . and they have the silverware to prove it.
It is now surely only a matter of time before they add the Premier League trophy to complete football’s holiest trinity.
Will they be Invincibles III and finish the top-flight season unbeaten?
You would not back against it.
They certainly look unbeatable even if they are not reproducing the same scintillating football of last season when they finished just one point behind Manchester City in a thrilling title race before winning the Champions League.
The addition of the Club World Cup last month prompted Klopp to describe 2019 as professionally “probably the best year of my life”.
Well, we should not be surprised if 2020 is even better for the Liverpool boss.
This victory restored their lead at the top of the Prem to 13 points — and they have a game in hand on their rivals.
Left-back Andy Robertson provided the assist for Salah’s goalCredit: Getty Images – Getty
That advantage could be crucial when it comes to squeaky bum time, not to mention the final stages of the Champions League and FA Cup when they will be able to field their strongest line-ups if the domestic crown is already in the bag.
While his rivals have forced to chop and change in their bid to find form and fitness, Klopp has just had to tweak the Kop to keep them at the top.
The German was forced to make a late change to his line-up when Naby Keita, who was due to replace Adam Lallana in the only change from the Liverpool side that began the 1-0 win over Wolves on Sunday, suffered a groin injury in the warm-up.
That resulted in an unexpected recall for James Milner – but it did not stall the red juggernaut as the hosts took the lead inside four minutes.
Unfortunate Blades defender Baldock would have surely cut out Van Dijk’s searching ball had he not stumbled.
But galloping Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson took full advantage of the slip as he crossed for Salah to steer his shot past United keeper Dean Henderson and into the net.
It was just the start the hosts wanted and the visitors were dreading.
Chris Wilder is arguably the only challenger to Klopp for Manager of the Year.
Salah celebrates with his prolific strike partner Sadio ManeCredit: Reuters
The Sheffield United boss has done an amazing job and his side almost grabbed a quickfire equaliser on the Blades first visit to Anfield for 13 years as John Lundstram’s dipping shot dropped just wide of the far post, with home keeper Alisson beaten.
Lundstram and his Blades team-mate Jack O’Connell are both Liverpool fans who travelled to Madrid to watch them beat Tottenham 2-0 in the Champions League Final in June.
Lundstram then had a goal ruled out for offside and David McGoldrick was denied a first Premier League goal of the season when his shot was tipped over by Alisson.
At the other, United keeper Dean Henderson, whose gaffe gifted Georginio Wijnaldum Liverpool’s winner at Bramall Lane in September, redeemed himself with fine saves before the break to deny Salah twice before the break.
The second half continued in the same vein, with the hosts dominating possession.
Roberto Firmino went close with a shot and Salah’s cross-cum-shot almost embarrassed keeper Henderson as it bounced off the inside of the post.
But just when the natives were starting to get a bit anxious, Sadio Mane made it 2-0 in the 64th minute when he lashed the rebound into the roof of the Kop net after keeper Henderson had blocked his first shot.
Liverpool star Naby Keita injured in warm-up as James Milner takes his place
You could almost taste the relief inside Anfield and with the pressure off, they began to turn on the style.
Salah had a shot saved by Henderson, who then did well to keep out another effort from Mane.
But Liverpool can order the bunting, book the open-top bus and clear a space in the trophy cabinet – because the Premier League title is on its way to Anfield.
Mane hammered home his rebounded effort to make it 2-0 to the hostsCredit: EPA
The league leaders celebrate as they extend their lead at the top of the tableCredit: Reuters
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
