Cesc Fabregas has reiterated his belief that the title for the Premier League’s best player belongs to Liverpool star Sadio Mane.
Mane scored both goals to seal Liverpool a 2-0 win over Fabregas’ old side Chelsea in Sunday evening’s showdown in the Premier League.
The 28-year-old was a threat right from the start, leading Andreas Christensen to commit a desperate challenge after he was set up into a one-on-one with Kepa by Jordan Henderson’s pass. While the Danes’ bold move arguably spared Chelsea, it left them down to 10-men upon his dismissal.
Mane later caught Reece James out in the second half to head in the opening goal for Liverpool. He then capitalized on an error from Kepa to double the visitors’ advantage, sealing an exceptional 2-0 victory at Stamford Bridge.
Those two goals were also Mane’s first of the season as he aims to hit double figures for the seventh consecutive campaign.
“I’ll say it again. Mane best player in the League,” Fabregas announced on Twitter after the match.
The former Blues midfielder, who remains an avid follower of Premier League football, also praised Timo Werner’s runs during the match against Liverpool and defended fellow new recruit Kai Havertz.
The club-record signing had another difficult outing for Sunday, making the fewest touches of any Chelsea player during the first half. He didn’t fare well as a false nine, prompting Frank Lampard to withdraw him at half-time.
“Too early to judge,” Fabregas said on Havertz. “Very young and the Premier League is the most competitive league in the world.”