Senegal star Sadio Mane equalled Dutch legend Robin van Persie’s record of eight consecutive goals against Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
The 29-year-old winger scored both goals to help Liverpool in the Barclays Premier League with a 2-0 win over the Eagles in their final Premier League game of the 2020/21 season.
This also happened to be Roy Hodgson’s final game in charge of his boyhood club – Crystal Palace.
Mane’s opening goal against the Eagles made him the second player to score in eight consecutive Premier League matches against an opponent after van Persie had done the same previously.
Retired striker van Persie spent over 10 years in England having played most of his football for English giants Arsenal before moving to Manchester United to spearhead Sir Alex Ferguson’s attack to lead them to their 20th English league crown, which happened to be Sir Alex’s final title before retirement.
The Dutch striker left Manchester United in 2015 to play outside England for the first time since 2004 when he joined Arsenal in North London.
“8 – Sadio Mane (vs Crystal Palace) has become just the second player to score in eight consecutive Premier League appearances against an opponent, after Robin van Persie against Stoke. Hateful,” world leaders in sports data, Opta Joe wrote on their official Twitter page.
The 2019 Africa Footballer of the Year netted his 10th goal of the campaign in the first half, before scoring his 11th after the restart at Anfield in Merseyside.
Mane ended the season with seven assists in 35 Premier League games this term.
His brace sealed Liverpool’s qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League as the Reds finished third on the Premier League standings.
