Garth Crooks has included both Sadio Mane and Ibrahima Konate in his Team of the Week after the Liverpool duo played a huge role in the Reds' 3-2 win over Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final on Saturday at Wembley.
Liverpool centre half Konate opened the scoring early on Wembley with a towering header from an Andy Robertson corner while Mane scored a brace to give the Reds a 3-0 lead going into half-time. City replied through Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva, but Liverpool will take on Chelsea in the final.
Konate started alongside Virgil van Dijk in the heart of the Liverpool defence while Mane played in the centre of Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah. Crooks hailed the 'outstanding' Mane after his two goals against City.
READ MORE: Jurgen Klopp rules out Mohamed Salah talks and makes Liverpool prediction
READ MORE: Villarreal confirm injury blow ahead of Liverpool Champions League semi-final
"Three goals in three games tells you all you need to know about the form and attacking prowess of Konate. While everyone is watching Virgil van Dijk on set-pieces, Konate has been cleaning up. The Frenchman has been outstanding in recent games and adds a dangerous element in attack for Liverpool in dead-ball situations," Crooks said in his BBC Sport column.
"Konate absolutely destroyed Nathan Ake in the air to give Liverpool a 1-0 lead in the FA Cup semi-final. Why Pep Guardiola was prepared to leave Ruben Dias and Aymeric Laporte on the bench when City were already out-gunned by a devastating Liverpool attack was a complete mystery to me.
"You play your best players in the big games, unless of course, you're prepared to sacrifice the oldest knockout cup competition in the world for a Premier League or Champions League title."
Mane was the star of the show in the first half at Wembley as Crooks added: "The 3-0 half-time scoreline didn't tell the whole story in Saturday's FA Cup semi-final - it could have been much worse.
"Mane, who it would appear seems to be the player most Liverpool fans would have sacrificed for the return of the in-form Roberto Firmino, was absolutely outstanding. Not only was he the only Liverpool forward prepared to put himself about and get physical with City's defence, but he was once again clinical in front of goal.
"As for City's stand-in goalkeeper Zack Steffen, he won't dangle the ball in front of Mane again trying to be a 'Cool Hand Luke' when his feet were incapable of moving as fast as the Senegal international."
