Liverpool return to the top of the table, re-establishing a two-point gap with Man City

Goals: Wijnaldum 57', Milner 81' (penalty).

Liverpool were not fazed by the 0-0 scoreline at half-time, as in five of their last six games they have scored the decisive goal in the second half. The same was true in Cardiff, where the Reds knew how to shine at crucial moments. The victory helped Jurgen Klopp's men reach 88 points - their best ever in the Premier League. The Anfield club still have three games in hand.

Liverpool have taken 52 points from a possible 54 against teams in the bottom half of the Premier League table this season. Photo: Reuters

Liverpool did not allow the home team to have the ball for the first 3 minutes of the match. At one point, they controlled the ball up to 81% in the first half. However, the opportunities passed through the red shirt strikers' shoes one after another. In the 22nd minute, Firmino passed the wall with Mane and then escaped to face goalkeeper Etheridge. The Brazilian striker had space and space, and shot into the sky. 12 minutes later, it was Salah's turn to face the goalkeeper from Henderson's through ball. The Egyptian star's shot was blocked by the Filipino goalkeeper with his foot.

The visitors missed several chances and almost paid the price late in the first half, when Niasse's close-range strike forced Alisson to push the ball away for a corner. Had the Cardiff striker hit the target, the hosts would have opened the scoring.

Niasse almost caused a surprise at the end of the first half. Photo: Reuters

Liverpool increased the speed, suffocating the opponent with a series of attacks in the second half.. 7 minutes after the break, Mane curled the ball from outside the penalty area and it went just over the bar. 3 minutes later, Alexander-Arnold's long-range shot shook the away team's goal.

The visitors' suffocating pressure was rewarded in the 57th minute, after a well-planned corner kick. Alexander-Arnold passed low and against the direction of most of the players' movements. Unmarked, Gini Wijnaldum fired a powerful and dangerous one-touch shot, giving Etheridge no chance to block.

The visitors did not slow down after the goal and they had a chance to make it 2-0 just four minutes later. Captain Henderson was set up by Mane but shot over the bar. In the next 20 minutes, Cardiff fought back strongly and at times made Liverpool's defence careless. In the 64th minute, captain Sean Morrison shot from the six-yard box from a corner. With an open goal, he could only touch the ball with his back and it went wide.

Salah brought home a penalty for Milner to seal the score 2-0 for the away team. Photo: AFP

As the home team's spirits rose, Liverpool were awarded a penalty after Salah's clever maneuver in the penalty area. He forced Morrison to pull the fouler away. From the 11-meter mark, James Milner shot into the bottom right corner to make it 2-0. Salah had another chance to score in the 89th minute, when he received a pass from Firmino. In a one-on-one situation, Salah shot into the far corner but Etheridge reacted promptly to push the ball away. In the stands, chairman Vincent Tan kept shaking his head at the home team's performance.

Cardiff remain in 18th place with 31 points. They are three points behind Brighton - in 17th - and have played a game more.

Line-up

Cardiff:Etheridge; Peltier, Morrison, Manga, Bennett; Gunnarsson, Ralls (Bacuna 79'); Hoilett (Murphy 83'), Camarasa, Mendez-Laing; Niasse (Zohore 67')

Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold (Gomez 86'), Matip, van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Wijnaldum, Keita (Fabinho 71', Milner 75'); Salah, Firmino, Mane.