With their impressive 2-0 away win at Chelsea on Sunday, Liverpool proved they’re still the team to beat this season.The reigning Premier League champions, who avoided a scare against newly-promoted Leeds United in their opening fixture of the 2020-21 campaign, sealed all three points against Frank Lampard’s new-look team thanks to a second-half brace from Sadio Mane.Liverpool’s task was made considerably easier shortly before half-time when Andreas Christensen was sent off.And Jurgen Klopp’s side duly capitalised after the break, going 2-0 up after 54 minutes.Mane’s first goal of the afternoon was a header from a Roberto Firmino cross following an excellent team move.
His second, though, was the result of a Kepa Arrizabalaga howler.Kepa, whose confidence is shot to pieces at this moment in time, saw his attempted pass cut out by the tenacious Mane, who stuck the ball into the net from close range.
While it was unquestionably a moment of carelessness from Kepa, football fans are sharing an interesting clip on social media which appears to show Firmino’s role in the goal.The footage shows Firmino looked directly at Kepa and shouted something in the Spanish goalkeeper’s direction.At the same time, he was pointing to Jorginho, the intended target of Kepa’s pass.
Was the Brazilian forward deliberately telling Kepa to pass to Jorginho, knowing full well that Mane would intercept the ball?
That’s what some football fans on social media are suggesting…
It’s probably more likely that Firmino predicted Kepa would pass to Jorginho and subsequently told Mane to bend his run to the right.
Whichever version of events is accurate, it seems clear that Firmino *did* play a bigger role in Mane’s second goal than we all first realised.
Liverpool currently sit fourth in the Premier League table after sealing back-to-back wins from the opening two fixtures.
The Reds face Lincoln City in the League Cup on Thursday before going head-to-head against Arsenal in their third Premier League game of the season next Monday night.