Mane charges Liverpool to fight and not excuses
Sadio Mane believes Liverpool should fight until the end of the season rather than dwell on excuses for their dismal Premier League title defence.
Liverpool ripped up the record books last season on the way to their first English top-flight title in 30 years but a campaign marred by injuries and poor form has left them seventh with 46 points from 29 games.
read also:Liverpool’s Mane delivers fighting talk, not excuses
Mane’s own form has also taken a dip, managing just 12 goals and six assists in 37 games in all competitions.
However, with Champions League silverware still possible, where Jurgen Klopp’s side face Real Madrid in the quarter-finals next month, the forward is very much looking forward, not back.
“We have to deal with the situation and not stop believing, but keep fighting, keep our motivation and go again,” Mane said.
“When you are a fighter you never try to make excuses, we are here to find solutions. Being together with my team-mates always gives me high energy.
“In football and in life in general you can’t expect anything and for years and years this complicated situation has not happened.
“We have always been successful, but now this has happened and we can see it is like how life is.
“We need to be positive and fight. This is what we try to do to change this situation and I’m sure that it will change.”
Liverpool face Arsenal in the Premier League on April 3 immediately after the international break, live on Sky Sports.
Sky Sports will show 14 live matches in the first two weeks of April, with Leicester vs Man City and Arsenal vs Liverpool scheduled for a crunch Saturday in the race for the title and top four.
Seven games will be shown on each of the first two weekends of April as the 2020/21 season heads towards an exciting conclusion, with issues to be settled at both ends of the table.
The clash between the Gunners and the reigning champions will now take place at 8pm on Saturday, April 3, having been moved forward from the Sunday given Liverpool’s participation in the Champions League.
Aston Villa vs Fulham – originally scheduled for Saturday, April 3 – will consequently now kick off at 4.30pm on Sunday April 4.
Elsewhere in another packed month, Manchester United will have scores to settle when they visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, live on Sky Sky Sports Premier League the following weekend, having been thumped 6-1 by Jose Mourinho’s side earlier in the season.
Liverpool will also have revenge in mind when their home game with Aston Villa – who thrashed them 7-2 in October – is also broadcast live on Sky Sports.