Liverpool delivered a statement win at Anfield on Wednesday night, defeating Leeds United by six goals to nil and closing the gap to Manchester City to just three points.
The Reds were largely flawless, and the strength of their performance was epitomised by Sadio Mane, who did exactly what was necessary to cause problems for Marcelo Bielsa's men.
Leeds have executed man-marking all over the pitch since Bielsa was appointed at Elland Road in 2018. It is a unique strategy and one that is quite rare at the top of the modern game.
When it works, it looks highly effective. "If you're not really in the game, they will eat you," said Jurgen Klopp when previewing the clash on Tuesday.
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Liverpool certainly arrived during the game, and Klopp's outfit performed in a specific manner to exploit the man-marking system of their opponents.
Positional interchanging was encouraged more than usual, and Joel Matip proved to be keen to step out on a regular basis, scoring on the 30th minute.
Mane in particular was very effective. He was deployed through the centre of the pitch, and was tasked with performing like Roberto Firmino rather than his usual self.
Instead of persistently darting in behind, Mane regularly drifted into midfield to assume possession, and he took an opposing centre-back with him due to Bielsa's man-marking scheme.
An example is pictured below. Virgil van Dijk had possession, and he played a pass into Mane's feet, who had retreated into midfield from his high starting position. As a result, Luke Ayling followed him, which opened up a gap in Bielsa's defence.
His movements resulted in valuable spaces forming in Leeds' defence, and his first touch often allowed him to steer clear of the centre-back who had followed him.
"Sadio's game was one of his best," said Klopp after the match. "The way he interpreted his role, got away from opponents, opened up gaps for us. It was absolutely insane."
Despite making withdrawn movements away from goal, Mane also managed to score twice while winning a penalty for Mohamed Salah to convert.
The Senegalese international showcased a complete display, and his upturn in form bodes well for Liverpool's upcoming Carabao Cup final against Chelsea this weekend.
