As Sadio Mane rolled the ball home to put the seal on Liverpool's 2-0 win at Selhurst Park on Monday evening, Crystal Palace fans could have been forgiven for wondering whether the winger has something of a personal vendetta against their team.

In confirming three points for the Reds in south London, Mane clocked up his sixth strike in just eight Premier League appearances against the Eagles – a remarkable record started by a goal for Southampton at the same venue back in December 2014.

But it isn't that the Senegalese has an axe to grind with Palace; more that his prolific nature has seen him become the scourge of almost every side he faces.

Mane has scored against 14 of the 20 teams that currently make up the league, with only Huddersfield Town, Brighton and former club Southampton escaping his wrath along with this season's three newly promoted sides.

And it would be folly to back those six teams to end the current campaign with their record still intact.

Having started his third year at Anfield with three goals in two appearances, there is a growing feeling that now is the time for the 26-year-old to truly assume world-class status.

Only some poor luck and the significant shadow cast by Mohamed Salah's 44-goal debut season prevented Mane from announcing himself in similar fashion last time around.

After making a bright start to 2017-18 featuring three goals in as many league outings, the wideman was sent off as Liverpool slumped to a 5-0 defeat at Manchester City in early September.

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Three goalless games followed his subsequent three-match ban before a knee injury sustained on international duty extended a sorry stint for the Sedhiou-born speedster into November.

Mane showed some improved form upon his eventual return to the side but seemed to suffer a drop in confidence after failing to play a square pass that would have seen Liverpool take a 2-0 lead in December's 1-1 draw with Everton at Anfield.

Of course, Klopp's faith never wavered. The German had already doubted Mane once before - turning down the opportunity to sign him for Borussia Dortmund - and later admitted he felt like punching himself for such an error.

So, during Mane's mid-season slump, the Reds boss refused to make the same mistake again, declaring in one press conference: "I don't think too much about it, to be honest. Even if Sadio is not at his best, he's still a threat."

The manager's reward arrived quickly, with the winger scoring stunning left-footed strikes in wins over Burnley and Manchester City in January before marking his return to top form by bagging a hat-trick against Porto in the Champions League last 16 the following month.

Some Liverpool fans would suggest that Mane, not Salah, was the key man in Klopp's team from that point onward, with his record of 14 goals in his last 18 outings for the club a helpful statistic for those arguing such a viewpoint.

It seems Mane, too, is aware of his importance to the team despite having justifiably earned a reputation as an incredibly shy and humble character at Melwood.

The Senegal international did not hesitate to take up the No.10 shirt he also wears for his country following the failure of Liverpool's move for Nabil Fekir this summer, creating a fearsome squad number sequence that places him alongside Naby Keita, Roberto Firmino and Salah.

Reminders of Mane's worth are sure to be a feature of ongoing talks between Reds chiefs and the player's representatives over a new contract.

The two parties have enjoyed positive dialogue so far and, while progress has been slow, Liverpool remain optimistic that the winger will extend a deal that currently runs until 2021.

Should the player eventually put pen to paper, the delight with which the news is greeted at Anfield is sure to be matched only by the despondency felt at Selhurst Park and beyond.