Mane makes contract point
It was the perfect present for Sadio Mane. And it helped the Senegalese serve a reminder of the part he still has to play for Liverpool – this season and beyond.
A mere 47 seconds into the second half, Mohamed Salah sent Mane – as he had done when Manchester City visited Anfield back in October – scampering in on goal with a brilliant pass that invited his team-mate to mark his 30th birthday with a 16th goal of the season.
As well as hauling Liverpool level a second time, it sparked an excellent individual second-half performance that continued the impressive form he has shown since returning to Anfield an Africa Cup of Nations champion two months ago.
If Mane, ostensibly on the left flank, was at times everywhere, it was telling his goal came from a central position having shone when employed there in recent weeks.
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For Salah, though, it was a mixed bag. While the quality of the assist underlines why Jurgen Klopp has such faith in the Egyptian, whispers over his end product in the wake of ongoing contract speculation won’t have been entirely silenced by another fitful display.
But Mane, too, is approaching the final 12 months of his deal. If he’s playing for a new agreement, the forward is going about it in the right manner.
Midfield worry for Klopp
Their quest for a quadruple has sought unprecedented demands of this Liverpool squad which have, on the whole, been met head on by a show of strength in depth.
But there has for some time been one doubt nagging away at the back of the minds of most supporters that, by half-time here, had been thrust straight to the forefront.
The midfield. While City have always had the edge in the engine room in terms of overall quality, Liverpool would have been expected to put the hosts under serious scrutiny.
Yet the Reds were simply overran first half, a major concern for a team that prides itself on its athleticism and pace.
Fabinho looked every inch a player making his 45th appearance of the campaign in such a physically and mentally demanding position, unable to provide much protection for an overworked defence and at fault in the build-up to the first goal. Jordan Henderson, too, was peripheral at best, regularly pulled into positions he didn’t want to be.
Only Thiago Alcantara appears capable of reaching anything like his level before he tired second half and tested the patience of referee Anthony Taylor until belatedly going into the book.
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Yes, there is sufficient youth and alternatives in the squad – Naby Keita unlucky to miss out – and there won’t be an opponent quite as demanding as City.
Klopp, though, will surely have noted where the most obvious room for improvement lies within his squad this summer.
Mahrez moment
Jurgen Klopp, never slow with the Rocky references, likened this game to a boxing fight. “You have your arms down for a second and get a massive knock and you shake a little,” he said. “But the result we have to live and can live with.”
City, though, should really have landed the decisive blow in the final moments, substitute Riyad Mahrez sent clear but well over with an elaborate chip when a simple finish or a pass square to Phil Foden were better options.
Whether that proves a turning point in the title race remains to be seen. After all, as Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele discovered in the Champions League semi-final three years ago, Liverpool are adept at capitalising on injury-time profligacy.
For now, though, Liverpool cannot dwell too much on the problems of the first half and instead focus on the improvement that came later. With a mere six days before again crossing swords with City – and a Champions League return against Benfica on Wednesday – the quadruple quest has now reached the critical point.
