Sadio Mane bags brace as Liverpool thump Cardiff to go top

Liverpool returned to the top of the Premier League table as Sadio Mane scored twice in a 4-1 win over Cardiff at Anfield on Saturday.

Jurgen Klopp’s men led at the break thanks to Mo Salah’s strike in the 10th minute, taking of advantage of a poor Cardiff clearance after Mane’s shot was blocked.

Having dominated for so long, the home side had to wait until the 66th minute for their second of the game when Mane thumped a superb left-footed effort past Neil Etheridge.

What looked like it was turning into a routine win took a turn with 13 minutes to go when Calum Paterson’s effort beat Alisson thanks to a deflection off Virgil van Dijk.

Any slight panic was put to bed in the 84th minute when substitute Xherdan Shaqiri produced a cool finish and it was four moments later when Mane clipped the ball over Etheridge for his second of the game.