EPL Winners and Losers After Thursday's 2020 Week 21 Premier League Results

Liverpool's seemingly unstoppable march toward the Premier League title continued with a 2-0 win over Sheffield United on Thursday, a result good enough to put the Reds 13 points clear at the top with a game in hand.

It was a night for players not always in the limelight to grab their share of the plaudits. In particular, Andy Robertson stepped out of the shadow of the brilliance his fellow full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold has cast recently.

Meanwhile, Joe Gomez delivered a performance to prove Joel Matip faces a fight to regain his place in the starting XI once the centre-back returns from injury.

Gomez and Robertson were the big winners on the night. The losers were those who felt Sadio Mane only merited fourth place in the voting for the Ballon d'Or.

Liverpool's attacking talisman started 2020 the way he left off in 2019, scoring freely. Mane is growing in stature on the world stage, but Roberto Firmino isn't having quite the same impact after an off night against the Blades.

Thursday's Result

• Liverpool 2-0 Sheffield United

Winner: Andy Robertson

You could forgive Robertson for feeling a little superfluous lately. After all, Alexander-Arnold has been owning the headlines thanks to performances like the assist-laden star turn against Leicester City in December.

Yet tonight was Robertson's turn, with the Scotland international teeing up Mohamed Salah's opener after just four minutes. While he's not quite keeping pace with Alexander-Arnold, Robertson's own quality and eye for a pass are just as important to the Reds:

He waned somewhat during the second half before being subbed off for Adam Lallana on 88 minutes. Even so, Robertson once again showed why his signing from Hull City in 2017 for an initial £10 million remains one of the smartest pieces of business Liverpool performed to help build this impressive team.

Losers: Ballon d'Or Voters

Nice manager and former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira's assessment of Mane's place in the 2019 Ballon d'Or voting rings true after the prolific No. 10 added to his awesome tally:

Mane's 64th-minute finish maintained a formidable streak at Anfield:

It's merely one number to help explain Mane's strides during the last few seasons. He's steadily overtaken, or at the very least equalled, Salah as the main threat in Liverpool's front three.

Mane has done so by adding variety to his game. No longer just a winger, he has proven adept operating through the middle, become effective in the air and is a calmer finisher.

Those improvements have yielded more goals and greater honours. Adding the league crown to the Champions League trophy and FIFA Club World Cup would surely strengthen Mane's case to be recognised by more voters the next time a Ballon d'Or is set to be handed out.

Winner: Joe Gomez

Matip was a colossus last season, but his absence has barely been felt because of how Gomez has played. The 22-year-old has started in the back four during every game of a lengthy sequence of clean sheets in England's top flight:

Gomez's best performances have come at centre-back alongside Virgil van Dijk. The latter is still the player opposition attackers and playmakers want to avoid, affording Gomez more chances to prove himself.

It's a challenge the former Charlton Athletic prospect has taken to wholeheartedly. Gomez has also been proving he can excel when helping Liverpool build moves from the back:

Jurgen Klopp recently confirmed Matip "looks good" in his bid to return from a knee injury, per Ian Doyle of the Liverpool Echo. It's going to be hard for Matip to reclaim his place ahead of a gifted youngster developing as rapidly as Gomez.

Loser: Roberto Firmino

Firmino is a rare thing, namely a No. 9 who isn't judged first by how many goals he scores. In fact, Klopp recently admitted as much, per The Guardian's Paul Doyle: "When I think about Bobby I don't think about scoring. I think about how important he is."

Such a description only increases the pressure on Firmino to fulfil his role as the creative fulcrum of Liverpool's forward line. It was something the Brazilian couldn't manage against the Blades.

Firmino routinely picked the wrong pass or else he put too much or not enough weight on the ball. His touch doesn't let him down often, but Firmino's flair and vision deserted him for a rare time.

While he found the net twice against the Foxes on Boxing Day, Firmino had last scored in the league during the trip to Crystal Palace in November. The gap between goals represents a middling return, even for a forward whose value is measured on a different basis.