MANE HAS A HAND IN LIVERPOOL DOWNFALL
Defoe penalty double hits title bid
JURGEN KLOPP did not like it when Sunderland ‘parked the bus’ at Anfield in November. He did not like it yesterday either when they fired up the engine and drove his side’s title challenge into reverse.
There was something about this he just could not accept. The German wrestled with his emotions afterwards and even apologised for his mood.
Was he annoyed with the officials? Kind of. Was he vexed following this third fixture in just seven days? To a degree.
Most of all, though, he was miffed with the result. A 2-2 draw against lowly Sunderland is hardly the stuff of would-be champions. Chelsea, after all, came here and won last month, and that was when Sunderland were mid-revival.
In contrast, David Moyes’ side were stuffed 4-1 at Burnley on Saturday with a performance the manager labelled shambolic and dire. The wheels on the bus were going down and down.
Liverpool, then — on the back of four straight victories — should have run their opponents right off the road. That they did not owed a little to the officials, a lot to Jermain Defoe and Sunderland’s spirit, but most of all to Liverpool’s failure to make more of their possession — 71 per cent — as well as the needless concession of two penalties.
Klopp would not blame Sadio Mane for his part in giving away the second spot-kick six minutes from time. He insisted it was a ‘reflex’ to extend his arm and block Seb Larsson’s goal-bound free-kick. Really? With reflexes like that Klopp will know where to look the next time a goalkeeper crisis ensues. This, however, was not an unavoidable action — it was stupid.
What Mane had given his side with one hand — it was he who poked home to make it 2-1 in the 72nd minute — he had taken away with the other.
Mane leaves for the Africa Cup of Nations this week and — his defending apart — Liverpool will miss the Senegal forward’s energy and attacking intent in the coming weeks, especially against Manchester United and Chelsea.
Daniel Sturridge looks set for an extended run in the side — the ankle injury which forced him off late in the game is not serious — and this first Premier League start since October was encouraging.
He opened the scoring with only his second league goal of the season and drew save after save from Vito Mannone.
The sight of him hobbling off was concerning, if not at all surprising, but there was a hunger about his play which had been absent this season. Perhaps Mane’s departure and the chance to stake his claim served as inspiration.
But if Sturridge needs extra motivation he should look no further than opposite number Defoe. After taking his tally for the campaign to 11 the 34-year- old became just the fourth player to score 10 or more goals in 10 different Premier League seasons.
It is little wonder the likes of West Ham and Crystal Palace are interested in signing him. Sunderland, though, would be as good as accepting relegation were they to entertain the idea of cashing in on their ageing asset.
It was Defoe who drew the first save of an entertaining afternoon when his low blast from 20 yards was smothered at the second attempt by former Sunderland goalkeeper Simon Mignolet. Mannone, the home side’s No 1, had something to prove after the loss at Burnley and the Italian produced a fine save to deny Sturridge and then tipped acrobatically over the crossbar from Georginio Wijnaldum’s curler.
There was only so long the keeper could keep them in the game and Sturridge had his goal in the 20th minute. James Milner swung over a corner from the right, Dejan Lovren made a hash of an attempted volley and the ball landed on the brow of Sturridge, who improvised to spin a six-yard header beyond Mannone.
Yet Sunderland were level within six minutes. Didier Ndong drove between Ragnar Klavan and Wijnaldum, and fell under a clumsy challenge from the former. Defoe duly took responsibility from the spot.
But, surprisingly, he failed to handle the pressure when through on goal two minutes later. After checking for a linesman’s flag, his hesitancy allowed Mignolet to block. Defoe should have had the chance to redeem himself early in the second half when Emre Can handled from Adnan Januzaj’s flick inside the area but referee Anthony Taylor waved away the appeals.
Mannone then made a trio of saves from Roberto Firmino, Can and Sturridge but again his resistance could only endure for so long and Mane restored Liverpool’s lead when hooking in from Alberto Moreno’s corner.
Just as they had done in the first half Sunderland rallied and Defoe won the free- kick from which Larsson lined up 25 yards out. It was, in fairness, a soft award, Defoe tumbling under minimal contact from Lucas Leiva. But there was no argument when Mane blocked Larsson’s effort with his arm. Again Defoe kept his nerve to hammer low into the corner.
The handbrake was off and Sunderland even pressed for a winner. Now that really would have had Klopp in a spin.