Sadio Mane, we can safely say, had an eventful afternoon at Selhurst Park on Saturday.
With his Liverpool side already trailing Crystal Palace thanks to a Luka Milivojević penalty, the Senegalese international was given a yellow card after referee Neil Swarbrick deemed him to have dived in a attempt to win a spot kick at the other end. As a result, Mane’s every touch was booed by the Palace supporters for the remainder of the first half.
Things took a turn for the better shortly after half-time, when he was able to guide James Milner’s drilled cross home from close range for Liverpool’s equaliser.
Then, with Christian Benteke’s appalling wastefulness threatening to steal the headlines, Mane somehow escaped a second yellow card.
Having gone down on the edge of his own penalty area, the former Southampton forward clearly stopped the ball with his hand, expecting to receive a free-kick. Swarbrick did indeed award a free-kick, only against him for handball.
Despite this, the official decided not to card him for deliberate handball – a booking which would have been a second yellow – much the bemusement of those watching.
Let's face it, Mane should be sent off.
— LFC Fans Corner (@LFCFansCorner) March 31, 2018
Neil Swarbrick just bottled it -Mane should have walked. Refs just keep on cocking it up. No point having rules if they don’t follow them.
— Chris Gill (@Chrisgill95) March 31, 2018
Mane had to go there. Utterly dreadful, gutless refereeing.
— John Brewin (@JohnBrewin_) March 31, 2018
Mane's clearly fouled there, however if the referee deems there to be no foul then difficult to understand how the deliberate handball isn't a yellow. Just a catalogue of officiating errors in that play.
— Chris Winterburn (@cmwinterburn) March 31, 2018
How has Mane not been sent off there 😂😂
— Matt Craig (@MattHDGamer) March 31, 2018
Mane – deliberate handball – should be booked and sent off. But ref did not want to upset the media favs pic.twitter.com/D2tSeuKCty
— Shed Hender (@ShedHender) March 31, 2018
Palace’s free-kick amounted to nothing and Jurgen Klopp decided to substitute Mane shortly afterwards.
