This archive report was first published on 5 July 2020.
Mane Boosts Liverpool's Record Hunt, West Ham Held by Newcastle ¶
On Sunday, July 5, 2020, Liverpool maintained their bid to set a new Premier League points record with a 2-0 win over Aston Villa. Sadio Mane scored his 20th goal in all competitions this season, while Curtis Jones netted his first Premier League goal just 24 hours after signing a new contract.
Mane's strike in the 71st minute broke Villa's stubborn resistance, and Jones sealed the win with a 89th-minute goal. Liverpool need 12 points from their remaining five games to surpass Manchester City's 100-point total from the 2017-18 season.
Manager Jurgen Klopp downplayed the significance of the record, saying, 'The only thing I can say is there's no chance to win records if you constantly think about records. We don't want a record, we want the three points. We don't think about these things, three points is difficult enough.'
Meanwhile, West Ham United were held to a 2-2 draw by Newcastle United at St James' Park. Michail Antonio opened the scoring with a clever flick, but Newcastle equalized through Emil Krafth and Jonjo Shelvey. Tomas Soucek restored West Ham's lead, only for Shelvey to equalize again just 92 seconds later.
Elsewhere, Sheffield United earned a 1-1 draw at Burnley, with John Egan scoring his first top-flight goal. The result dented both teams' hopes of qualifying for the Europa League.
