"Not an extrovert, but in his own way a leader" - Danny Murphy singles out Liverpool superstar for special praise after win against Manchester City

Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has lavished praise on Sadio Mane following his brace against Manchester City. The Reds booked their place in the FA Cup final with a 3-2 win against Pep Guardiola's side thanks to his heroics in front of goal.

After the Reds went ahead via Ibrahima Konate's ninth-minute header, the Senegalese doubled their lead by capitalizing on a mistake by the City’s keeper Zack Steffen. Mane then scored an absolute stunner from outside the box to triple the lead for the Reds going into half-time.

Danny Murphy hailed the former Southampton attacker following the game and claimed the Senegal international is his favorite amongst all the current Liverpool forwards. The 45-year-old has also suggested that Mane is the best 'defensive forward' that Liverpool currently have and has been a pivotal factor in the club's success in recent years.

Murphy wrote in his column for The Daily Mail:

"Mo Salah stands comparison with any Liverpool goalscorer since Ian Rush while Luis Diaz will become an superstar. Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino have also had huge impacts."

"But my favourite of Klopp’s forwards is Sadio Mane who is getting the recognition he deserves by scoring the goals while Salah has a brief lean period."

"In addition to his obvious offensive talents, Mane is also the best defensive forward Liverpool have and it is so key to their success."

Murphy hailed the 30-year-old as being a leader on the pitch despite not being very seemingly vocal and credited him for leading the press against Manchester City.

The 45-year-old claimed that Mane may not match Mohamed Salah's exploits at the club but he has always been Klopp's first choice in every big game that the club has played. The former England midfielder added:

"Playing him down the middle and bringing his energy to that position was a masterstroke which was rewarded with that chase-down to dispossess Steffen for his key goal."

"Mane is not an extrovert but in his own way is a leader. He set the tone for the Liverpool press against City, even Salah took his lead from Mane and gave Oleksandr Zinchenko precious little opportunity to get forward for City from left-back."

"Mane may never be able to match Salah’s legacy but between now and the end of the season, he’s the first name on the teamsheet up front in all the big games to come."

Mane has been sensational for Liverpool since joining the club in 2016 from Premier League side Southampton. He has made 259 appearances across competitions for the Merseysiders, scoring an impressive 115 goals and giving 45 assists. He was crucial to their 2019 Champions League and 2020 Premier League wins.

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Liverpool's quadraple hopes continue but beating Manchester City in the title race will be a massive ask

Following their victory against Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final, Liverpool's quadruple hopes remain alive. Manchester City's dream of a treble might have been dashed but they will be doing everything they can to complete a double.

The Cityzens lead the title race by just one point and it will be an uphill task for the Reds to beat their rivals for the league title. City have been in imperious form in the league this season and have won 17 of their last 22 games, losing just twice.

The Cityzens also have a comparatively easier run-in of fixtures, which includes the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion, Watford, Leeds United and Aston Villa amongst others. It would be an incredible achievement if the Reds pull off a title win this year.