"I have a lot of faith in the guys" - Sadio Mane reacts to Liverpool's win over Manchester City
Bayern Munich winger Sadio Mane has sent his best wishes to Liverpool after their 1-0 Premier League win against Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday, October 16.
The Senegal international left the Reds this summer to join Bundesliga side Bayern Munich but it seems that he still has a soft spot for his old team.
Speaking to BILD after the full-time whistle, Mane said (h/t @DaveOCKOP on Twitter):
"I'm very happy for the guys that they beat City. I couldn't watch it because we were in the bus. I have a lot of faith in the guys and the coach that they will get back to the top."
Mane was on the Bayern bus as he himself had a league game to play in. Bayern beat Freiburg two hours later by a 5-0 margin where Mane got on the scoresheet as well.
His tally is now up to five goals in 10 Bundesliga games for his new club. Mane, throughout his career, has maintained Manchester City as his second favorite club to play against.
Sadio Mane speaking to BILD after Liverpool's victory:
"I'm very happy for the guys that they beat City. I couldn't watch it because we were in the bus. I have a lot of faith in the guys and the coach that they will get back to the top."
He has scored 10 goals and two assists in 19 games against City across competitions. The former Southampton attacker has registered 13 goals and three assists against Crystal Palace - his best record against any team.
Manager Jurgen Klopp got his team off to a slow start to the season, which led to many pundits and fans questioning if it was due to Mane's absence. The Merseyside outfit signed Darwin Nunez from SL Benfica this summer for an eye-watering £85m. But that didn't stop people from wondering what could have happened had Mane not left.
Liverpool now move up to eighth in the table with this hugely important win, amassing 13 points in nine Premier League games.
Is Liverpool's poor start down to Sadio Mane joining Bayern Munich?
Sadio Mane is one of the world's most elite attackers who always seems to pop up on big occasions. His departure would hurt any team, and it isn't any different for Liverpool.
However, it isn't fair to say that Mane leaving for Bayern Munich is the sole reason for the 2019-20 Premier League champions' poor start to the campaign. Luis Diaz has arguably been the club's best player since he joined in January down the left flank where Mane earned his stripes at.
Roberto Firmino and Nunez have also met expectations down the middle in attack - a position Mane took in his last six months at the club.
A bigger reason for Liverpool's misery since the start of the campaign is the team's aging and, at times, unenthused midfield. It is no surprise that in a game where the midfield played well - against City - the Reds won in style.