The former Liverpool player convinced Sheffield United can cause a shock at Anfield

You have to scroll back through the results sheet for another 17 months to find their last Premier League defeat in their own back yard - a 2-1 reverse to Crystal Palace towards the end of the 2016/17 campaign.

But even though they will make the journey west without a win to their names this term, Sheffield United defender Jack Robinson is convinced Chris Wilder’s players can shatter the aura of invincibility surrounding the reigning champions of England by ending their 61 match run in the competition on Merseyside.

“If you take a step back, it’s just 11 versus eleven,” Robinson, who started his career with Liverpool said. “They are what they are for a reason but then here, last season, we felt we could beat anyone and we still feel like that now.

“Listen, we recognise what they (Liverpool) have done and yes, it’s a talking point. But it’s not about blowing smoke up their a***s either. They’ve got world class players and we know we are going to need 11 players bang on our game to stand a chance of doing something. But that’s what we’re aiming for, the same as always.”

If Liverpool avoid defeat against United tonight, it will leave them just 90 minutes away from equaling the club record of 63 unbeaten home games set by Bob Paisley’s squad in 1981. Wilder’s men have prepared for the fixture having lost four of their opening five outings since finishing ninth in the table last term - their first top-flight campaign for nearly a decade-and-a-half having found themselves languishing in League One when Wilder was appointed four years ago.

Robinson, who joined United from Nottingham Forest in January, made 11 appearances for Liverpool after progressing through their youth system before completing spells with Queens Park Rangers and Huddersfield Town. Returning to his alma mater will stir some wonderful memories for the defender, who is again set to deputise for the injured Jack O’Connell. But Robinson is focused on one thing and one thing only - ensuring United kickstart a campaign he believes can still be a success despite their disappointing outcomes of late.

“I appreciate everything the people there did for me, even though it was quite a long time ago now,” he said. “There were a lot of people who helped me more than they should have done, by putin on extra sessions for me and things like that.

“Ian Brunskill, my under-10’s coach, was one of the biggest (influences) and so were Steve Heighway and Dave Shannon in the academy. Then there was Rodolfo Borrell, with the under-18’s, who had worked at Barcelona - he was one of the best coaches I ever had.”

“There’s upsets all over the world,” Robinson continued. “You see them every single week and it’s our goal to produce another one.

“They know it’s not going to be an easy game for them, but who knows, they might be off it a little bit because we’ve not been going as well as we’d have liked recently, and that could help us because the lads here work so hard.”

Robinson, aged 27, was signed to provide cover and competition for Jack O’Connell; one of the two overlapping centre-halves in the 3-5-2 system Wilder has employed to such good effect during his reign in South Yorkshire. With O’Connell now recovering from knee surgery - earlier this week, Wilder described his loss as a “bigger blow” to United than Virgil van Dijk’s absence has dealt to Liverpool - Robinson is set for a prolonged run in the starting eleven unless the visitors unveil a change of shape.

“It’s always tough when you lose a big player like Jack,” Robinson acknowledged. “I know what he’s going through because I’ve had a big injury myself before. So I’ll be there for him and help him through it the best I can.

“We’ve got a few out, but I do think the boys who have come in have done exceptional. It’s a shame but losing people to things like this is just part and parcel of football and you just have to get on with it.”

“I’ve worked really hard to get this opportunity and it’s up to me now to try and take it,” Robinson added. “Hopefully that’s what I can do and hopefully then the manager will keep faith in me. To do that, I’ve got to be on it week in and week out.”

Although O’Connell’s loss has been cited as a major factor behind United’s troubles of late - robbing them of their attacking thrust from deep lying positions - Robinson is convinced last weekend’s draw with Fulham will go a long way towards repairing confidence and self-belief within the Bramall Lane ranks.

“Maybe we haven’t expressed ourselves as much as usual because of the results, but they’ll come so long as we keep putting the performances in,” he said. “There’s still plenty more games and plenty more points to play for, so there’s no panic. We’ve just got to keep up the hard work and not get down on ourselves, which we won’t. There’s things we know we can do better, but we’ve identified what they are and we know we’re capable of it.”

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