Liverpool: Sadio Mane has said Liverpool are confident of winning every game until the end of the season and will have to do so to wrestle the Premier League title from Manchester City.
Liverpool lead the champions by two points with six games remaining, albeit with City having a game in hand, after producing another dramatic late winner to defeat Tottenham on Sunday.
Jurgen Klopp’s team visit Southampton on Friday with a belief they can overcome every test, according to Mane, who says the leaders require a flawless finish to the campaign to hold off Pep Guardiola’s side.
The Senegal striker said: “That [belief] is what makes you more motivated and makes everyone say: ‘Let’s go, we can do it’, so I think it’s important. This is a very, very good sign and I think everything is possible, so let’s do it and win it. To be honest I think we need to win all of the games, even if it will not be easy. We still can win every game because we are a good team and we play very well.”
Mane admits Liverpool must improve on their second-half display against Spurs to maintain pressure on City. “Sometimes it’s difficult after the international break because we only had two or three sessions together. Now we are back and we start with a win, I think it’s very important. We have three or four more days to train together so be like before and go again.”
Andy Robertson, meanwhile, believes the defeat of Spurs demonstrated the heart and attitude that has propelled Liverpool throughout the title race and will push them on for the final games of the campaign.
Liverpool replaced Manchester City at the top of the table on Sunday courtesy of Toby Alderweireld’s late own goal at Anfield. It was the third time this season that Klopp’s team have claimed victory in the 90th minute -more than any other Premier League side — and cleared arguably their toughest remaining assignment in pursuit of a first league title since 1990.
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Robertson admitted that luck was on Liverpool’s side against Spurs, who were the stronger team in the second half at Anfield. But he says the leaders’ habit of winning late is evidence of the indefatigable spirit within Klopp’s squad and no fluke.
The Liverpool left-back, once again outstanding on Sunday, said: “I think it comes from the whole squad having the right attitude and belief that we are good enough to win any game. We knew Tottenham were playing well in the second half but we still believed we were better and could go on and win the game.
“We know we’ve got the energy and we know we’ve got the heart to go right until the end in every single game. Our fitness levels are the best they should be at this point of the season so we know we can go right to the end. But sometimes you just need that wee bit of luck and we got it.
“Even when we were going through the tough times in the second half, we still believed we were going to win the game and that’s the mentality we have. It maybe didn’t look likely at times but three points and looking at the league table is all that matters. Performances don’t really matter at this point of the season as long as we win.”
Klopp admitted the manner of Liverpool’s dramatic victory on Sunday would have a greater impact on his players than a 5-0 stroll, and Robertson said: “Of course we’re all buzzing but only time will tell if it can give us that. I don’t think we’re lacking a spark but it can give us a real good push right to the end of this season now for six games. But we need to keep going like that and we need to play better than we probably did, especially in the second half.”
