Georginio Wijnaldum has claimed that Liverpool are not a one-man team and that it would be wrong to place the burden of saving their season on Sadio Mane.
The Senegal international scored twice in as many first-half minutes as Premier League top-four rivals Tottenham Hotspur were beaten 2-0 at Anfield.
During Mane's absence at the Africa Cup of Nations, Liverpool's form stumbled to the point that the win over Spurs was their first league victory of 2017.
Despite Mane's importance to Jurgen Klopp's side, Wijnaldum played down any notion of the team being unable to function without the former Southampton man.
The Netherlands international told Sky Sports News: "He is really important but it is too much Sadio Mane now. He scored two goals but also I think it has been about him because we had poor results without Sadio.
"Before he left for Africa we had good results, only against Sunderland (2-2 in Mane's last game before leaving) we did not have a good result. Last week we lost with Sadio Mane. I don't think it is fair to the other players to say 'because of Sadio Mane we win'.
"Of course he is a great player - he helps us with his speed and he scores goals - but I think it is more about the team than only Sadio Mane. It is normal [that] if you have poor results without Sadio everyone will say 'Sadio Mane'. If it was another player like when Phil was injured, if we had poor results then everyone would have said 'Philippe Coutinho'."
Liverpool find themselves 11 points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea and also exited two cup competitions in January.
Giuseppe Labellarte
