Liverpool 4, Cardiff City 1: First Thoughts

They kept it nervy by giving away a cheap goal, but Liverpool pull it together late to win 4-1 against Cardiff City.

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Liverpool 4 - 1 Cardiff City

Liverpool: Salah 10’, Mané 66’, 86’ Shaqiri 84’
Cardiff City: Paterson 76’

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• PRE-MATCH: Moreno gets a chance to start, giving Robertson a break for the week. Elsewhere on the pitch, Fabinho gets another chance to build on his impressive performance against Red Star Belgrade during the week.
• GOAL!!!!!! - SALAH 10’ - After some very patient build up from the Reds, Salah scores from a rebound after a few attempts were batted away by the keeper.
• It’s all one way traffic here, with Liverpool probing to find a second. Van Dijk nearly does, as his header dings the goal post for a grateful keeper to scoop up.
• Salah has a penalty shout, but the ref waves it away and play continues.
• Liverpool are completely dominating possession, but my fingers are itching to write about another goal. Alexander-Arnold comes close with a shot off-target in the 25th minute.
• Bobby Firmino prevents a corner in somehow the sexiest way I have ever seen, and it nearly leads to a goal on the other end.
• Worth noting how well Liverpool have won the ball back on the rare times they have given it up. Their doing a lot of good work defensively here, even in the midst of this very dominant attacking display. Now if they could just find the target once more before halftime...
• HALFTIME: Liverpool didn’t manage to grab a second, but that was a effortless a half as one could imagine, without the end product.
• Liverpool start the second half a little jumpy and loose in possession. They’ve given it away cheaply two or three times in the first five minutes.
• Lovren with a foul, and Cardiff score on the resulting free kick, but it’s called offside. MAYBE LIVERPOOL COULD SCORE AGAIN, JUST A THOUGHT TO MULL OVER AS THE GAME CONTINUES.
• Xherdan Shaqiri looks like he’s ready to come on for Klopp, and the team needs it. They’re starting to look shaky, and the domination from the first half is cracking. He should be replacing Adam Lallana.
• This referee seems terrified of giving a penalty. This time it’s for a handball in the area.
• GOALLLL!!! Mané 66’ - My god, what a beauty from Mané, who finds his own space in the box and whizzes in a real banger to the far corner. Finally.
• Bobby Firmino gets the hook before he can complete the front three-trifecta. James Milner comes on in his place.
• goal - Paterson 76’ - What a shitty goal to break their home clean sheet record. Liverpool switch off and allow Paterson to toe poke home a goal to half the deficit and rob the Reds of another clean sheet.
• GOALLLLLLLL! Shaqiri 84’ - POWERCUUUUUBE gets on the score sheet!! The cheap goal give away has finally woken up the Reds. Great goal, and we can breathe agggggg—
• GOALLLLLL!!!! Mané 86’ - Before I can finish typing that, Liverpool go on the break again. This time it’s Salah sending it into Mané, who slots it past the keeper. That’s more freaking like it.
• FINAL THOUGHT: Somehow Liverpool made it nervy, but the goal conceded seemed to shock them out of their complacency enough to make the scoreline look more like the run of play deserved. The Reds are top of the table, 10 games unbeaten, and they just increased their goal difference by three. Not a bad day at the office, even if it felt frustrating for a bit in the middle.

We’ll be back shortly to take an in-depth look at everything that happened in today’s game with the full recap. Until then, let us know your take on the ups and downs of the match in the comments, and if you haven’t already, join the community on the Liverpool Offside, where we’ll have full coverage and lively in-game discussion for every match this season.

Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com