Liverpool defeated Sheffield United 2-0 at Bramall Lane, with the comparatively low scoreline reflecting a shortage of high-quality players that is significantly higher than the gap in possession and intent between the sides.

New home manager Chris Wilder was greeted with acclaim and pre-match shouts of “he’s one of our own” as he returned for the first game of his second stint with the club. He may be hoping to immediately turn things around and take the Blades into uncharted territory this season, but his first game back was all too familiar in most ways.

Perhaps he can take heart from his team’s early struggle, in which they advanced on a number of counterattacks, as well as the fact that the score remained close until late in the game. But there’s clearly a long way to go before the staff on the very bottom can start thinking about a road to security.

Meanwhile, Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai earned the points for the victorious Reds, who saw Arsenal snatch a late win at Luton to open up a five-point lead at the top of the league one evening earlier, and they’ll know the previous few weeks have only reinforced how much impact away type could have on the title struggle this season.

The best teams in the Premier League don’t lose many points at home. Liverpool have nearly maintained their great form despite a late comeback against Fulham on the weekend. Between the top four – Jurgen Klopp’s group, Arsenal, Manchester City, and Aston Villa – they’ve dropped only eight points all season from a possible total of 84, before of Wednesday evening’s late kick-off between the latter two.

If near-perfection is the minimum criteria on home soil, it is only on their travels that marginal advantages can be recognized, changes can be made, and the championship can be determined.

Liverpool’s results thus far have not been exceptional, with the caveat that they have already faced a number of formidable opponents on the road, including Manchester City, Newcastle United, and Tottenham Hotspur. Even still, two wins from seven isn’t the striking price they need, especially when the disappointing 1-1 draw at newcomers Luton is taken into account.

As a result, they have much to credit their captain for after impressing at both ends of the field.

After Wataru Endo’s turn and ahead move placed the visitors on the attack, Mohamed Salah sliced the first opening of the game over the bar, but the first big chance came on the opposite finish. Joe Gomez, who had been restored to left-back, waited too long to show in possession on the halfway line and was stolen by Cameron Archer. While he couldn’t completely break away, with Gomez recovering to some extent, the ball eventually bobbled in the direction of James McAtee, who couldn’t beat Caoimhin Kelleher.

Archer once more failed to find the requisite incision after breaking down the left, hesitating a shot lengthy enough for Van Dijk to shut him down, then dithered in an expensive manner once more with 20 minutes to play, much to the chagrin of the home fans.

The centre-back succeeded where the striker failed

Van Dijk’s personal demise arrived in the midst of Archer’s missed opportunities. When a calm and quiet supply arrived from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s nook, the Dutchman went unnoticed and swiped home a finish from close to the penalty spot, despite allegations that he had hindered Anel Ahmedhodzic as the supply arrived. Liverpool’s captain was dominant in the air and defended impeccably throughout the game, but it was his uncanny accuracy with this strike that proved decisive.

Salah nearly duplicated Van Dijk’s goal ten minutes into the second half, with Wes Foderingham this time reacting perfectly and parrying over the bar. It was his third and final attempt to finally break the 200-goal barrier for his club, on an evening that saw him mainly well-managed and kept on the fringe of difficulties.

And perhaps that encompasses all about Liverpool’s newest efficiency on the street.

It was too often sluggish, stilted, and sloppy, with repetitive passes out of defense. Pushing Alexis Mac Allister into a higher-level role didn’t pay off; he was a bystander for much of the first half and left injured early in the second. He wasn’t the only one who didn’t touch the heights in the sport; Ibrahima Konate showed a lot of rustiness, Luis Diaz has yet to hit high gear once more, and Cody Gakpo gave another honest impression of how powerful nature is.

Substitute Darwin Nunez added power and movement but not finesse, sending a one-on-one effort straight on the keeper to give the hosts hope. But they did nothing to spark that hope, leaving the Reds with the points wrapped up as Nunez won the ball back late on and crossed for Szoboszlai to crash home.

It wasn’t as spectacular, exhilarating, or emotional as Arsenal’s most recent road victory, but it counted exactly the same in league terms. And when the margin for mistake is as little as it has been in recent years, that’s all that matters for Jurgen Klopp tonight.