Sadio Mane’s reaction after coming off as a substitute in Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Burnley on Saturday was the biggest talking point of the match.
The Senegalese forward was visibly furious after Mohamed Salah refused to set him up for an easy opportunity to score.
Jurgen Klopp played down the incident, which was a rare outburst in Liverpool’s ranks.
“Mane is an emotional guy, something went not like he wanted,” Klopp said, per The Guardian.
“It was obvious he was upset, he cannot hide his emotions at times and I don’t mind that. We are all still friends.”
Mane’s frustrations led to a debate on Twitter between his fans and Salah’s.
Mane fans pointed out that this isn’t the first time Salah has refused to pass and some even went to the dramatic extent of saying Liverpool should consider selling the Egyptian.
Salah’s supporters hit back by pointing out various instances where Mane has been selfish.
They also highlighted the fact that Mane provided just one assist last season, compared to Salah’s eight.
Yet for all this bickering, both players may just want to take a leaf out of Roberto Firmino’s book.
The Brazilian completes Liverpool’s attacking trio and so he’s involved in the drama.
But he will certainly never be accused of being selfish, with an incident in Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Stoke City in November 2017 reminding us of that.
Mane opened the scoring in the 18th minute but it could have so easily been Firmino’s goal.
The Senegal international dinked the ball over Stoke’s goalkeeper and Firmino could have tapped it over the line.
But he chose not to, allowing Mane to have the goal.
It was a selfless act that highlights what Firmino is all about.
For him, it’s all about his teammates and winning matches. The number of goals he scores doesn’t matter as much.
Indeed, Firmino even missed out on a £45,000 bonus by not nabbing Mane's goal due to a clause in his contract.
A return of 50 goals in 141 Premier League matches wouldn’t be considered exceptional for a forward but due to the work he puts in, Firmino is one of Liverpool’s most influential players.
He also has 34 assists for Liverpool in the league. Mane and Salah must love playing with him.