LONDON – Liverpool sharpshooters Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah and Arsenal goal-poacher Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were the top African performers in the major European leagues over the weekend.
Senegalese Mane bagged a brace and Egyptian Salah scored one goal and created two in a 4-1 rout of Cardiff City at Anfield.
Gabonese Aubameyang became joint Premier League leading scorer this season with Eden Hazard of Chelsea by notching his seventh goal for Arsenal in a 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace.
Salah opened the scoring with his fourth goal in a week after taking his tally for the club to 50 with a midweek double over Red Star Belgrade.
Mane smashed home Liverpool's second and was then sent through by Salah to seal the points after Salah had also teed up Xherdan Shaqiri for his first Liverpool goal.
Aubameyang moved level with Hazard in controversial circumstances in a 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace that snapped Arsenal's winning streak at 11.
He struck after strike partner Alexandre Lacazette had handled and the goal was given with the aid of goal-line technology after sneaking in by just nine millimetres.
Liverpool's Sadio Mane celebrates scoring during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Cardiff City at Anfield. Photo: Peter Powell/EPA
Meanwhile Leicester City's Nigerian international Wilfried Ndidi’s deflected effort secured a late point for Leicester in a 1-1 draw against West Ham.
In Italy, retired Ghana international Kevin-Prince Boateng rescued a Serie A point for Sassuolo by converting an 85th-minute penalty in a 2-2 home draw with Bologna. It was the fourth goal of the league campaign for the midfielder.
And in France, Algerian Mehdi Abeid scored the second Dijon goal in a 2-2 draw at Monaco, who remain winless since former France superstar Thierry Henry was appointed coach this month.
Both clubs languish among the bottom four in Ligue 1.