Juergen Klopp’s side had the chance to open up a five-point lead at the top of the table, but a combination of wastefulness and Newcastle’s valiant rearguard kept them at bay
Browsing: Sadio Mane
It was Big Sam’s first point in charge since replacing Slaven Bilic in the Baggies hotseat earlier this month.
Ajayi’s goal cancelled out Sadio Mane’s early opener for the home side.
The tone was set inside three minutes when Takumi Minamino scored his first Premier League goal, slotting home after some good work from Sadio Mane.
Mane, who also scored last Wednesday when Senegal beat Guinea Bissau 2-0 at home, netted with eight minutes remaining to ensure they maintained their 100 percent record in Group I where they are guaranteed a top-two finish and therefore a place at the finals in Cameroon in January 2022.
Liverpool striker Sadio Mane scored from the spot just before the break, and Opa Nguette added a second-half goal as Senegal gathered their ninth point to consolidate their grip on the group’s summit.
The victory ensured that Liverpool went five points clear at the top of their UEFA Champions League Group D after three straight wins
Klopp has high hopes in his plan of attack with the star striking trio: Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino
The Egypt international had seen Michael Keane wipe out Sadio Mane’s opening goal before a half-cleared cross fell to him in the box.
The emphatic effort at Anfield was the highlight of the Egypt international’s opening day hat-trick in the Premier League.
“Sadio Mane has tested positive for Covid-19 and is currently self-isolating according to the necessary guidelines,” Liverpool said in a statement.
While Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham and now Arsenal have all lost in the opening three weeks of the new campaign, Liverpool have taken maximum points to lay down an early marker that they remain the team to beat in the Premier League this season
The game never threatened to live up to the eight-goal thriller when the side’s met in July, and it proved all-too-easy for Liverpool to lay down the season’s first big marker.
The 28-year-old enjoyed a fine campaign, scoring 18 goals and providing seven assists, making him the team’s second most productive player of the season behind Mohamed Salah.
The Belgian playmaker beat Liverpool trio of Jordan Henderson, Sadio Mane and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Southampton striker Danny Ings, Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope and Leicester’s Golden Boot winner Jamie Vardy to the award.
The game was one of the most one-sided 1-0s imaginable after Andy Robertson’s opener but a combination of the brilliance of Clarets goalkeeper Nick Pope and wayward finishing cost Jurgen Klopp’s side before Jay Rodriguez’s equaliser
Dean Smith’s side squandered what was the best chance of any visiting team in the last three years to end Liverpool’s unbeaten home run but slipped to a 2-0 defeat, which extended the sequence to 57 matches.
It was such a dominant performance from Klopp’s side, who had been held to a 0-0 draw by Everton on Sunday, that Palace did not have a single touch in Liverpool’s penalty area — the first time that has occurred in the Premier League since Opta began collating such stats in 2008
Sadio Mane is reportedly seeking a move away from Liverpool after being left fuming with Jurgen Klopp for backing Virgil van Dijk to win the Ballon d’Or award back in December.
Liverpool striker Sadio Mane has praised manager Juergen Klopp for his positivity in the ongoing era of the coronavirus pandemic.