Liverpool 4-1 Cardiff City: Salah, Mane & Shaqiri send Reds to top of EPL table

Liverpool opened up a three-point lead at the Premier League summit with no other team in the top five in action until later this weekend.

Match Events

10' GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Cardiff City (Salah)

Alexander-Arnold's driven cross causes a scramble in the area as both Mane and Wijnaldum see shots deflected before Salah pounces to smash into the gaping net.

Salah has now been involved in seven goals in his last six matches against newly-promoted sides, scoring four and contributing three assists.

66' GOAL! Liverpool 2-0 Cardiff City (Mane)

Liverpool double their advantage and it is a superb hit from Mane. It looks like he has lost the ball after being tackled by Ecuele Manga but he does not give up, charging onto the loose ball in the area and smashing a ferocious shot past Etheridge.

A huge goal for Liverpool, coming in a period where nerves had started to rise, and that should now be enough to secure all three points.

77' GOAL! Liverpool 2-1 Cardiff City (Paterson)

Cardiff pull one back and it's 2-1! Hoilett's low ball into the area is deflected kindly into the path of Paterson, who pokes past Alisson to hand the visitors a glimmer of hope.

Paterson's effort is the first Premier League goal Liverpool have conceded at Anfield since Michail Antonio's for West Ham back in February.

84' GOAL! Liverpool 3-1 Cardiff City (Shaqiri)

Salah feeds through Shaqiri and he shifts the ball onto his left foot, then firing home his first goal for the club and a strike that brings a halt to the rising pressure in the game.

Brilliant from Salah, who has not had it all his own way here. A goal and an assist caps off a decent performance though.

86' GOAL! Liverpool 4-1 Cardiff City (Mane)

The pass from Salah was sumptuous, but the finish from Mane, lofted over the onrushing Etheridge, was right out of the top drawer. What a way to score your 50th Premier League goal. 

Match Report

A brilliant counter sees Salah weight a superb pass through the Cardiff defence for Mane to pounce upon, chipping over Etheridge for his second goal of the game.

Salah is certainly back at his best, now boasting three goals and two assists in the past seven days!

Liverpool moved to the top of the Premier League as Sadio Mane scored twice in a routine 4-1 win over Cardiff City.

Mohamed Salah gave the Reds an early lead, moving on to seven goals for the season following his midweek brace against Red Star Belgrade.

Cardiff showed a touch more ambition after half-time, although Mane finished emphatically in the 65th minute before Callum Paterson became the first visiting player to score at Anfield in the Premier League since February.

Xherdan Shaqiri settled any nerves by crowning a lively cameo with a crisp 84th-minute finish and Mane added further gloss, matching Salah's haul of seven for the season and putting Jurgen Klopp's unbeaten side three points clear of champions Manchester City, who take on Tottenham on Monday.

Line-ups

Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Moreno, Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Lallana, Mane, Salah, Firmino.

Subs: Mignolet, Matip, Gomez, Robertson, Milner, Shaqiri, Sturridge.

Cardiff City XI: Etheridge, Ecuele Manga, Morrison, Bamba, Bennett, Hoilett, Camarasa, Gunnarsson, Murphy, Reid, Paterson.

Subs: Smithies, Zohore, Connolly, Cunningham, Damour, Harris, Madine.