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Guardiola fires shot at 'diving' Mane before Liverpool showdown

  /  autty

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has accused Sadio Mane of "diving" ahead of next weekend's top-of-the-table clash with Liverpool.

Having beaten Southampton 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium, coming from a goal down themselves to win, Guardiola was asked about next week's match.

However, in sensational style, Guardiola took a rather bizarre shot at Mane labelling him a diver.

Speaking after watching Klopp's side beat Southampton 2-1, he said: "Sometimes he's (Mane) diving, sometimes he has this talent to score incredible goals in the last minute. He's a talent.

"It's happened a lot for Liverpool in the last years [scoring late on] it's because he's a special talent."

On Liverpool's win, he added: "If it's one time, two times, “we were lucky, we were lucky”, but it happened in the last two seasons many, many times – they have a special character to do that.

"We look at ourselves, we know which team we face, I think they have won 10 and drawn one… Next week we go to Anfield to try to play them."

Mane had been in the headlines against Leicester City last month after going to ground following a Marc Albrighton challenge which resulted in a penalty kick.

However, replays showed there was contact on the Liverpool forward, rubbishing any claims of a potential dive.