Liverpool vs Cardiff City: Reds finish with a flurry to kill off Neil Warnock's men
Re-live all the action from Anfield
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Your support makes all the difference.Liverpool moved back to the top of the Premier League as Neil Warnock's assessment of Cardiff's hopes at Anfield proved accurate.
Warnock delivered a startling admission that trying to get a result on Merseyside was "virtually impossible" on the eve of the fixture, and his Bluebirds side rarely looked like proving him wrong.
Sadio Mane's brace, plus Mohamed Salah's strike and substitute Xherdan Shaqiri's first goal for the club sealed a 4-1 victory which was enough to move Liverpool three points clear of Manchester City.
The only blemish for Liverpool came when Cardiff striker Callum Paterson scored a scrappy goal, dashing the Reds' hopes of extending their run of clean sheets in the top-flight at home to 10 matches.
Paterson's effort seemed to set up a grandstand finish but in truth Cardiff were comfortably second best, with only two attempts at goal, in stark contrast to 19 from Liverpool, who enjoyed 80 per cent possession.
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One way traffic
Klopp will probably demand more urgency from his players in the second half, but it's difficult. Liverpool know Cardiff don't have much to trouble them defensively and the importance of victory outweighs the need to put on a show. As it stands, Liverpool will go top with a professional second half performance.
Cardiff, meanwhile, will know where they need to improve after the break. This, from Opta, says a lot:
Elsewhere
Here are the half time scores around the grounds in the Premier League:
Liverpool 1-0 Cardiff
46 minutes
We're back underway at Anfield.
Liverpool 1-0 Cardiff
49 minutes
Signs of a bit more ambition from Cardiff in the early stages of the second half. No attempts on goal yet, but their intent is clear.
GOAL! Brighton 1-0 Wolves (Murray)
48 minutes
Brighton take the lead through Glenn Murray, who slots home from close range.
Liverpool 1-0 Cardiff
52 minutes
Promising for Cardiff. The ball is bundled into the net from a free kick, but the flag is up for offside.
Liverpool 1-0 Cardiff
55 minutes
To put Liverpool's domination of the ball into context:
Liverpool 1-0 Cardiff
56 minutes
This is much, much better from the visitors, though. Quality is still lacking, but they're making Liverpool work now. The hosts look lethargic, and need to keep their concentration.
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