Man City take on Liverpool in the Premier League next weekend and before that Pep Guardiola dropped a few shocking comments regarding Sadio Mane.
Mane has been in superb form for the Reds during the current season and in Liverpool’s previous league match vs Villa, he scored a 94th-minute winner.
So naturally, Guardiola was asked whether he considered Sadio Mane a major threat going into such a key game next weekend.
And to this, the Man City boss chose to say that the Liverpool forward has a tendency to dive at times but then went on to praise him too.
“It has happened many times, what Liverpool have done, in the last few years, it’s because Mane is a special talent,” Guardiola told BBC Sport.
“Sometimes he’s diving, sometimes he has this talent to score incredible goals in the last minute. He’s a talent.”
These comments have obviously sent ripples across the footballing world and while Jurgen Klopp has chosen not to comment on this in order to focus solely on the match but Danny Murphy has made it a point to warn Guardiola.
The pundit has sent out a warning saying, Sadio Mane might be wound up hearing these comments which in turn could be a problem for Man City next weekend.
“I don’t think Pep went into [the press conference] with that in his head, I think he was just triggered by a question about the result at Villa Park and it’s just come out,” the pundit said[as quoted].
“In hindsight, he might look back on that and think, ‘I wish I hadn’t said that’. If I was him, the last thing I’d want to do is wind up the best player in the Premier League at the moment and before you play him next week.
“Mane is playing incredibly well and if it does spur him on a little bit more, than why take the risk? I think we should emphasise that Mane’s form from the start of the season until now is the reason why Liverpool are six points clear.
“In certain games, he’s carried them through. He’s been phenomenal.”
