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Liverpool continued their excellent start to the Premier League season as they defeated Cardiff City 4-1 at Anfield on 27th October 2018. The win means that the Reds stay unbeaten in the league and provisionally go top of the table. Results elsewhere meant that Cardiff just about manage to continue to stay outside the relegation zone on goal difference.
A brace from Sadio Mane, along with a goal each from Mohamed Salah and Xherdan Shaqiri meant that the solitary goal scored by Cardiff’s Callum Patterson was only a consolation for the Bluebirds.
We look at some of the key factors in Liverpool winning the game comfortably.
#1 Complete domination in possession (and the game)
Prior to the game, Neil Warnock had mentioned that it would be “virtually impossible” for his side to defeat Liverpool. While some may question Warnock’s not-so-optimistic comments before a game, the gulf in class between the two sides is undeniable and was very evident in the statistic that Liverpool enjoyed 80 per cent possession in the whole game.
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The other statistics also indicate the superiority of the home side in the match. Jurgen Klopp's side completing 819 passes in the game, while the visitors only managed just 110 - a number which was one less than what Liverpool's Gini Wijnaldum alone managed.
The goal by Patterson to bring Liverpool’s lead down to 2-1 was completely against the flow of the game and would have caused a few nervy moments for Klopp. But ultimately his team managed to close out the match with ease with two late goals, to match the club's best ever start to a Premier League campaign with 26 points from 10 games.
#2 Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane find form
While Liverpool’s defence has been widely praised this season, some question marks have been frequently raised on the form of the attack - especially with the team having very standards last season with a rich haul of goals, but not exactly managing to replicate the same this season so far. The 4-0 win over Red Star Belgrade in Champions League did help ease some concerns, and the form of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane in today’s match would have pleased Klopp.
Salah continued his goal-scoring run with his early goal in the 9th minute. The Egyptian now looks close to being back at his best and will look to continue his goal-scoring run. Salah also assisted two goals later in the game, one of which was for Sadio Mane. The Senegalese hadn’t scored in the league since 1st September and responded well to his doubters with two well-taken goals.
#3 Xherdan Shaqiri comes off the bench to provide a much-needed spark
Liverpool went into half-time with a narrow 1-0 lead, and while the team dominated the possession, they weren’t able to convert that into a more commanding score-line. Adam Lallana, especially, looked very rusty and struggled to make the right pass at the decisive moments.
One hour into the game, Klopp decided to take off Lallana and bring on Xherdan Shaqiri instead. The Swiss’s introduction added the much-needed spark to the Liverpool attack, as the team found a way to unlock the dogged Cardiff defence with late goals to seal the match.
Shaqiri has found game-time limited at Liverpool so far but has impressed whenever given the chance to play. His goal today sealed the game for Liverpool at a time when Cardiff threatened to find an equalizer. It is surely a matter of time before his performances will force Klopp to give him an extended run in the playing XI.
