Sadio Mane keeps tiring Liverpool in title race but Fabinho injury mars win – The Telegraph

The days are getting longer and the games are running out, but still Liverpool are clinging on to what remains a race for the Premier League title, and the dream of the quadruple tired, a little ragged and with the possibility of another man down in their pursuit of Manchester City.

Whatever lies ahead now, through Saturdays FA Cup final and the Champions League in Paris in 17 days time, as well as those last two games of the league season, all or part might have to be navigated without Fabinho who felt pain in the first half at Villa Park. Jurgen Klopp said later that the player himself was hopeful the damage to a hamstring was not too serious. One of those hazards of a season that has stretched to the maximum number of games, three Cup finals and City just tantalisingly out of reach.

Sadio Mane delivered the win eventually, although it was never comfortable and on the touchline Steven Gerrard, watching with the customary furrowed brow. There were moments when his team were close to the goal that might have handed the title to City and yet Gerrards former club found a way to win. He was off the pitch swiftly afterwards but not before he embraced Mane and whispered something to Liverpools matchwinner.

Mane was the sharp edge of what was an untidy performance at times, built on the strength of Virgil Van Dijk and Joel Matips partnership in defence. The winning goal was a classic Liverpool attack with the ball turned over swiftly and opponents in reverse but it was still a long way from some of the dominant performances of just a fortnight earlier when they had bossed Villarreal at Anfield in the Champions League semi-final first leg. The exhaustion is starting to tell and Klopp is having to take chances on resting some of his biggest names.

The Liverpool manager would not be definitive on Fabinho saying that the player had been quite positive in the aftermath about what he said was pain in the hamstring. I am not sure what I can make of that, he said, we will see.

Neither Mohamed Salah nor Thiago Alcantara started the game, although both of them were called upon before the end. There was not even a place on the bench of Andy Robertson, given a rest at home, Klopp said, and the Scots deputy at left-back, Kostas Tsimikas, had a fine game including a crucial second half challenge on Ollie Watkins. Its about decision making, Klopp said, and if you ask me now, I would say Leave Fabinho out.

It was a struggle at times yet find a way Liverpool did, this time one of the last darts and twists down the left from Luis Diaz, crossing for Mane to angle his header away from anyone who might put glove or boot upon it.

Klopps team departed Villa Park once more level on 86 points with City who have their opportunity to restore the three-point margin away at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday night. It was a night when Gerrard, as well as Philippe Coutinho and Danny Ings, threatened to be the ghosts of Liverpool title challenges past and against a less resilient side may well have done so.

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Sadio Mane keeps tiring Liverpool in title race but Fabinho injury mars win - The Telegraph