Jurgen Klopp has labelled Sadio Mane ‘absolutely insane’ after the Liverpool star became one of the most successful African players in Premier League history.
The Reds closed the gap between themselves and league leaders Manchester City to just three points with a 6-0 win over Leeds United on Wednesday night.
Mohamed Salah scored a brace of penalties and Joel Matip also was on the scoresheet for Klopp’s side in the first half.
Mane then scored two in the second half to round off an emphatic performance by the Anfield outfit, with Virgil van Dijk adding a sixth in extra time to put the icing on the cake.
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The brace from Mane means that he is the second-highest scoring player in Premier League history with 106 goals, moving above Didier Drogba after his successful time at Chelsea.
Speaking about the good form of the winger, Klopp said: “Sadio Mane's game was probably one of his best in the way he interpreted his role. Absolutely insane.”
The former Borussia Dortmund then heaped the praise on his entire team for the performance: “In the end, it went pretty smoothly. It was really hard work because they make it hard work. It is tricky playing against a man-marking side, you feel pressure where no pressure is.
“We had to be fully concentrated and we were and in the end, it is a wonderful night. There might be some people out there who think penalties you should not count them but you want the right person on the spot to put them away and that is what Mo did.
“In the end top game, top for the people. In a really good shape and a wonderful night at Anfield.”
Liverpool fans will be hoping that their side will carry the momentum that they built against Leeds into their Carabao Cup final on Sunday against Chelsea.
With the league title now within touching distance and their Champions League hopes still looking strong, winning a trophy in February could kickstart a historic end to the season for the Reds.
City looked destined to win the Premier League over the past few months as they pulled clear at the top of the league, but Klopp’s side has continually capitalised on City’s blips – even without Mane and Salah in January.
Discussing the title race, Klopp said: "I am not excited. It is normal after a night like this, people get carried away and that is fine but Sunday is looming and we have to be ready for this.
“We have 10 days no league game and City probably playing in that time. It is how it is and we have to win our football games and if we do that we will be around and if we don't do that we won't."
City travel to Goodison Park on Saturday to take on Frank Lampard’s Everton, and thus Liverpool will be hoping that their Merseyside rivals could do them the greatest of favours.
The Toffees head into the match on the back of a 2-0 loss to Southampton.
