Liverpool huffed and puffed against Cardiff City this evening at Anfield, and eventually blew away their opposition with a couple of goals in the last 15 minutes.
Mohamed Salah gave his side the lead on ten minutes after a scramble in the box and it looked like the Reds would cruise for the next 80 minutes. A second goal by Sadio Mane on 66 minutes looked to put the Reds in control, but it wasn't plain sailing for Jurgen Klopp's men however, with a second half goal by Callum Paterson giving the Reds a scare before strikes from substitute Xherdan Shaqiri and Sadio Mane put the game to bed.
It was a strange match from a Liverpool fan's perspective with the Reds dominating possession against clearly inferior opponents, yet failing to capitalise on their dominance until the latter stages of the game.
Indeed such was Liverpool's stranglehold on the game, it threw up this frankly ridiculous stat from the match:
Liverpool 4-1 Cardiff FT:
Georginio Wijnaldum (111) completed more passes than Cardiff (110) https://t.co/3rM4BcsQ2B— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) October 27, 2018
The stats were unkind to Neil Warnock's men across the board, who now lie 17th in the table:
0 - Cardiff have failed to have a single touch in Liverpool's box during the first half. Unambitious. pic.twitter.com/E4Tp6JFmbL
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 27, 2018
Liverpool with a goal for every 205 passes, Cardiff with a goal for every 205 passes. An entertaining draw at Anfield.
— Duncan Alexander (@oilysailor) October 27, 2018
What a half from Cardiff’s Bruno Ecuele Manga ?? pic.twitter.com/sFincApgsX
— Sam Tighe (@stighefootball) October 27, 2018
Cardiff do deserve some credit for getting back into the game despite their paucity of opportunities with Paterson's poachers' finish on 77 minutes the first goal Liverpool had conceded at Anfield in the PL since February:
918 - Callum Paterson's goal for Cardiff is the first goal Liverpool have conceded at Anfield in the Premier League since February, ending a run of 918 minutes without conceding. Penetrated.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 27, 2018
