3 reasons why Liverpool beat Cardiff City 4-1

#3 Xherdan Shaqiri comes off the bench to provide a much-needed spark

Shaqiri slots the ball into the back of the net for his first Liverpool goal

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.

Shaqiri has a goal or assist every 95 minutes for Liverpool. If you count assisting the own goal and Salah's goal (via free-kick rebound) against Southampton, it's every 63 minutes.

— Andrew Beasley (@BassTunedToRed) October 27, 2018