Increasingly, it is the small details that are keeping Liverpool ahead.

On Saturday afternoon, the groundsmen at Melwood were ordered not to cut or water the pitches and Jürgen Klopp’s squad trained for one hour and ten minutes to acclimatise themselves to the bone-dry “dangerous” surface awaiting them at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Then at half-time yesterday, with the away side having spurned three clear opportunities to take the lead, Liverpool’s players came up with a new set-piece routine.

Georginio Wijnaldum spoke to Jordan Henderson and instructions were passed on to Trent Alexander-Arnold to try a low delivery from the corner if he felt the ball was on.

That moment came in the 57th minute. Whether Sadio Mané spotting a piece of paper by the