Mane can be Liverpool's main man

Sadio Mane is Liverpool's leading scorer with 29 goals in 2019, nine more than Mohamed Salah. PHOTO: REUTERS
Sadio Mane is Liverpool's leading scorer with 29 goals in 2019, nine more than Mohamed Salah. PHOTO: REUTERS

LONDON • Sadio Mane has, in the words of Liverpool teammate Andy Robertson "taken his game to another level", regularly bearing the brunt of scoring for the English Premier League leaders.

The Senegal international shares star billing with Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino as part of the Reds' fluid front three.

But this year, Mane is leading Liverpool's charge - his goal at Selhurst Park at the weekend was his 12th of the campaign and his 29th for the club in the calendar year.

Left-back Robertson praised the 27-year-old after his goal in the 2-1 victory against Crystal Palace, a win that kept Liverpool eight points clear of second-placed Leicester in the Premier League.

Today, he will train his sights on Napoli in the Champions League, with a win guaranteeing Liverpool top spot in Group E. The Reds have nine points, one more than their Italian opponents.

"He has been fantastic," said Robertson. "Even when I came he was amazing but maybe did not have as much composure as he does now in front of goal.

"Now, every time he's in front of goal you don't think he'll miss. The others are pitching in as well but it's been a fantastic year for him and he's taken his game to another level.

"For me, Sadio belongs in the top bracket in world football."

Mane joined Liverpool in 2016, a year before Salah, but the Egyptian quickly took on the scoring mantle at Anfield, claiming 44 goals in all competitions in a remarkable debut season in 2017-18.

Last season both players shared the Premier League Golden Boot with Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, with the three forwards scoring 22 goals apiece.

  • SADIO MANE IN 2019-20

  • GAMES

    18

  • GOALS

    12

  • ASSISTS

    5

And Salah has pipped his teammate to the African Player of the Year award over the past two seasons. Both have been shortlisted again for this year's prize and Mane, who reached the final of the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal this year, is also seen as an outsider to win the Ballon d'Or.

Mane has talked about his pleasure of playing alongside his two attacking comrades-in-arms.

"Every single player who plays alongside them would enjoy it because they are very good and they make everything easy, so I just enjoy playing alongside them," he told the official Liverpool magazine.

Last year, the Senegalese signed a new deal committing him to the club until 2023. At the time, Jurgen Klopp called him the "complete" attacking player and said he had improved season by season.

"The only criticism I could ever have of Sadio is that maybe at times he is the only one not to see just how good he is," said the Liverpool boss.

Napoli defenders will hope that Mane waits till after tonight's game before Klopp's words begin to sink in.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

LIVERPOOL V NAPOLI

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on November 27, 2019, with the headline Mane can be Liverpool's main man. Subscribe