How does Sadio Mane’s start to this season compare to last?

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Mane has impressed during his time at Liverpool so far – how does his start to this season compare to the start of his last season at Southampton?

As the season progresses, it seems to many that Sadio Mane has been the missing piece of the jigsaw when it comes to Liverpool’s attacking threat.

He produced one of the stand-out debuts for his goalscoring display against Arsenal on the opening day of the season, and has continued to impress during a very positive start to the season for Liverpool.

His talent has not been a secret for the past couple of seasons, as whenever sides have come up against Southampton they have marked him down as a threat. This is a player, let’s not forget, who broke Robbie Fowler’s record for the quickest Premier League hat-trick in May 2015 when the Saints put Aston Villa to the sword.

So how do his first few games in a Liverpool shirt compare to the same point as last season when with the Saints?

Here’s a look:

Sadio Mane 2015-16 season for Southampton:

Sadio Mane 2016-17 season for Liverpool:

The most striking statistic there is just how many more dribbles Mane has made for Liverpool so far – despite missing one game. He appears to get through far more work and see more of the ball with the Reds than he did last season.

But in terms of his attacking ability, he seems to be having a similar contribution in the final third – though he was a little more of a provider at Southampton rather than a goalscorer at this stage last season. But Liverpool know themselves that he was capable of scoring goals, with the star having scored four in three games against them last term.

For the Reds it seems to be his finishing that is working in his favour. If he keeps that goalscoring record going throughout the course of the season then he is going to prove to be an excellent purchase on that basis alone.