Liverpool may not have been at their best last weekend, but even with that said they still managed to come away with all three points after making the trip to Huddersfield. A Mohamed Salah first half strike was the difference as the Reds managed to keep pace with leaders Manchester City.
And it is just goal difference that stops Liverpool from sitting at the summit of the Premier League, however they are presented with the perfect opportunity to go clear for at least 48 hours when they play host to Cardiff this weekend.
With Manchester City not playing until Monday night, Liverpool will want to put further pressure on their preparations for their next outing. Especially as Pep Guardiola’s men make the difficult trip to Wembley to face Tottenham.
Ultimately Liverpool can only do their job and hope that the defending champions drop points and in fairness to the Reds, anything less than a win at Anfield on Saturday will be viewed as a huge opportunity missed.
Opponents Cardiff make the trip to Anfield having won their first game of the Premier League season last weekend. It was perhaps too early to label their clash with Fulham a ‘six-pointer’ but it certainly had the hallmarks of a must win game.
And a win was what Cardiff managed to achieve in front of their own fans, as they came out on top in a highly entertaining clash. One which ended in a score line of four goals to two in the hosts favour.
That win will have relieved the pressure on manager Neil Warnock as the longer the winless streak continued, the more questions that would have been asked in regard to his long term employment status.
It is fair to say that the win last Saturday not only delivered a welcome three points, but also came as something of a relief to the former Sheffield United manager. That said the hard work really starts now for Cardiff.
Winning one game is undoubtedly a great feeling, but at the same time a solitary victory is not enough to keep your head above water. If they want to put some breathing space between themselves and the relegation zone, then they will have to find some more wins along the way.
Whether that is something that they can achieve against Liverpool remains to be seen, perhaps this fixture represents a free hit for the side that earned from the EFL Championship at the end of last season.
Liverpool certainly weren’t firing on all cylinders last weekend, but perhaps that is a sign of a team who can go on to mount a serious championship challenge. When the chips are down, and you get a result it can only bode well.
This Saturday with a home crowd in front of them then the situation should be a lot easier for them to come out on top. If everything clicks for Jurgen Klopp’s men, then it could well be a long afternoon for the travelling Cardiff fans.