It’s almost one year to the day since Sadio Mane fired Liverpool to a 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield, in what can only be described as an individual performance of the highest calibre.

The Senegalese forward bagged a first-half brace in the space of 138 seconds, to place the Reds on their way to glory against Spurs; as he continued his blistering start to life in Liverpool.

Last campaign, Mane made 27 league appearances; contributing an impressive 13 goals and six assists in the process. However, this season, it has been a different story.

The 25-year-old has struggled to replicate his electric form of last year and in recent weeks he has been a shadow of the player Liverpool were worshipping not so long ago.

Mane began the 2017/18 season in style, as he scored a goal in each of the first three games against Watford, Crystal Palace and Arsenal.

The match following this was Liverpool’s harrowing 5-0 drubbing at the hands of Manchester City; in which the Senegal International was brandished a straight red card for his high challenge on City keeper, Ederson.

His absence proved to be pivotal in respect of how the encounter panned out. Pep Guardiola’s men were contesting a fairly tight match with the Reds up until the dismissal, though, from this moment onwards the Sky Blues were able to up the ante and wreak havoc.

Proceeding this, Mane was then sidelined for three weeks, having sustained an injury while on international duty. This was another setback for the man who had grabbed all the headlines in his first year on Merseyside.

He recently scored two fine left-foot finishes versus Burnley and Man City; a reminder that his talent remains ever-present, though, the task facing Klopp and Mane is trying to rekindle the form of the tenacious and relentless figure that fans are well accustomed to.

Despite not being at his brilliant best, pressure to deliver this season was somewhat eased following the club’s( at the time of the deal)record -breaking £36.9 million acquisition of Mohamed Salah.

The Egyptian helped to form the ‘fab four’; the phrase coined to describe Liverpool’s frightening attacking quartet of Mane, Salah , Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho.

During their short spell in operation together, they struck fear into any defence standing in their way.

The four-piece band that were hitting all the right notes together, of course, lost arguably its star member in Coutinho last month, as Barcelona paid £142 million to lure the samba star to the Nou Camp.

Now that the former Inter Milan midfielder is no longer a Red; many argue that Mane must now assume responsibility once more and fill the void of the Brazilian.

Before Salah eclipsed the club’s record buy in June, the Senegalese international arrived at Anfield with the honour of the being the number one signing in history.

As was the case with the Egyptian, Mane was ridiculed before he even put on the famous red shirt.

The £34 million sum paid for his services was laughed at and labelled ludicrous. However, the former Southampton man has steadily put to bed people’s original misjudgments.

Last year Jurgen Klopp’s men sealed their long-awaited return to Europe’s elite, as a fourth placed finish ensured Champions League football, and it was Mane who moved Liverpool back into the limelight with his scintillating showings.

He swiftly established himself as a Kop favourite, illustrated by his ” oh mane mane” chant, which like the jet-heeled winger, enjoyed a sharp rise to prominence.

Attention now turns to this weekend’s crunch fixture; it’s a must-win for the Reds. Although these games of the highest magnitude place copious amounts of pressure on the players to perform; this is often the situation in which Liverpool thrive.

Since Klopp’s appointment as Liverpool manager in October 2015, the Merseysiders have collected more points in fixtures against the ‘top six’ than any other side( Liverpool-42 , Chelsea-33,Tottenham-33, Man City-30 , Man Utd-29 , Arsenal-22).

Liverpool with fancy their chances; and rightly so. This game will not only open our eyes to how the top-four race may unfold, but it will also signal whether or not Mane really is on his way to the dizzy heights previously reached or if he’s slumbering to languishing lows not yet experienced.

Tom Cavilla.