Premier League: Liverpool Star Forward Aims To Emulate Mo Salah Ahead Of Crystal Palace Clash

Sadio Mane is three goals away from emulating Mo Salah in the Premier League ahead of Liverpool’s home clash with Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Salah netted his 100th Premier League goal in Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Leeds United last weekend. By achieving the milestone in his 162nd appearance, the Egyptian King became the fifth-fastest player to a century of goals in the English top-flight, according to the league's official website. The record belongs to former English striker Alan Shearer, who had clinched the landmark while playing for Blackburn Rovers in 1995.

With Liverpool set to host Crystal Palace at Anfield Saturday, Mane, who also scored in the Reds’ 3-0 victory over Leeds, could become the 31st player in the Premier League to reach the triple-digits, provided he nets a hattrick. Mane would also become only the third African player to net 100 or more Premier League goals after Mo Salah (100*) and Chelsea legend Didier Drogba (104).

Mane has netted 97 goals in the Premier League across two clubs – Southampton and Liverpool.

Mane first moved to Premier League ahead of the 2014-15 season when Southampton signed the Senegal national from RB Leipzig. In two full seasons with The Saints, Mane netted 21 goals and seven assists in the Premier League and overall he finished his career at Southampton with 25 goals and 14 assists in as many as 75 competitive appearances.

In the summer of 2016, Jurgen Klopp, who had been monitoring Mane’s performances, signed him for Liverpool at a transfer fee of around $47 million. Mane, who is into his sixth season at the Merseyside club, is just one goal away from netting his 100th competitive goal for the Anfield side.

Out of the 99 goals Mane has scored for Liverpool, across all competitions, 76 have come in the Premier League, while he has also assisted a total of Liverpool’s 33 league goals.

In the underway campaign, Mane has netted two goals in five competitive matches for Liverpool. With three wins and a draw, Liverpool are currently placed third in the 2021-22 Premier League table behind leaders Manchester United and Chelsea.