Alexis Mac Allister has fired Liverpool back to the top of the Premier League as his superb strike inspired a tense 3-1 win against lowly Sheffield United

Jurgen Klopp’s side were growing anxious after Darwin Nunez’s early opener was cancelled out by Conor Bradley’s own goal in the second half of the encounter that was decided on Thursday night

However, Mac Allister eased the nerves around Anfield with a brilliant finish from the edge of the area before Cody Gakpo sealed the points in the closing moments.

On a potentially pivotal evening in the title race, Liverpool moved two points clear of second placed Arsenal with eight games left for each of the three teams involved in a gripping battle for supremacy.

Arsenal’s 2-0 win against Luton had knocked Liverpool out of pole position on Wednesday, with third-placed Manchester City’s 4-1 rout of Aston Villa, also keeping them in the hunt.

Klopp’s treble chasers have already won the League Cup and face Atalanta in the Europa League quarter-finals as they eye a memorable farewell for the German in his last season