RESULTS & FIXTURES
Win them all and Liverpool will be Premier League champions at long last promises Mane
SADIO MANE believes the equation is simple for Liverpool: Win every game and the title is ours.
That might seem a tall order when nerves are jangling but Mane, now a contender for player of the season, reckons that if any club can do it, it’s the Reds.
The quicksilver striker believes that fate may be on Liverpool’s side given the boost they got from Sunday’s last-gasp win over Spurs (right) that put them back on top of the Premier League.
Asked if they had to win their last six matches to become champions, Mane replied: “To be honest I think we need to win all of them, even if it will not be easy. But we still can win every game because we are a good team.
“Yeah, of course we need to play better than we did against Spurs but sometimes it’s difficult after the international break because we had only two sessions together. Now we are back and we have started with a win. Now we are back together again and we go again.”
This is the closest title race since Manchester City pipped United in the final seconds of the final day of the 2011-12 season, and perhaps the most engaging since Arsenal did the same to Liverpool way back in 1989.
Mane has played his part spectacularly. He failed to score on Sunday but has an incredible 12 goals in his last 13 appearances.
The Reds appear to have momentum behind them as they face the six weeks that will decide their destiny. When it was suggested Liverpool must feel invincible after another last-gasp winner, he replied: “I don’t know if it feels like destiny because we have a few more games to go. But it’s a good sign, a very, very good sign. I think everything is possible so let’s do it.
“It was a really difficult game against Tottenham.
“They were well organised, and they played very well. But the most important thing was getting the three points.”
Another Mane goal would have strengthened his playerof-the-year claims – Anfield team-mate Virgil van Dijk, Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero are the front-runners – but the Senegal star insists he doesn’t have a thought for individual honours.
“That’s football. Sometimes you score, sometimes not. It can happen,” he said of his blank against Spurs.
“But we don’t forget that it’s all about the team. When the team is winning, that’s more important.” LIVERPOOL:
Apr 5 Southampton (a) (Reverse fixture Liverpool 3 Saints 0)
Apr 14 Chelsea (h) (Chelsea 1 Liverpool 1) Apr 21 Cardiff (a) (Liverpool 4 Cardiff 1) Apr 26 Huddersfield (h) (Hudd’field 0 Liverpool 1) May 4 Newcastle (a) (Liverpool 4 Newcastle 0) May 12 Wolves (h) (Wolves 0 Liverpool 2) MAN CITY :
Apr 3 Cardiff (h) (Reverse fixture Cardiff 0 Man C 5) Apr 14 C Palace (a) (Man C 2 C Palace 3) Apr 20 Tottenham (h) (Tottenham 0 Man C 1) Apr 24 Man United (a) (Man C 3 Man U 1)
Apr 28 Burnley (a) (Man C 5 Burnley 0) May 4 Leicester (h) (Leicester 2 Man C 1) May 12 Brighton (a) (Man C 2 Brighton 0)
PREMIER LEAGUE ARSENAL (1) 2 NEWCASTLE (0) 0 Ramsey 30
Lacazette 83
VANARAMA NORTH
Curzon Ashton 1 Blyth Spt 3
MCC UNIVERSITY MATCH Fenner’s: Notts 565 & 231-5 v Cambridge MCCU 148 Canterbury: Kent 247-8 dec & 44-0 v Loughborough MCCU 248-9 dec
Weetwood: Leeds/Bradford MCCU 119 & 91-3 v Yorks 489-8 dec Northampton: Northants 481-7 dec & 108-3 v Durham MCCU 136 The Parks: Hants 478-9 dec & 66-4 v Oxford MCCU 114
Hove: Sussex 480-9 dec & 220-2 v Cardiff MCCU 203
CHINA OPEN, 1st Rd (selected) N Robertson (Aus) bt K Hirani (Wal) 6-2, S Bingham (Eng) bt E Slessor (Eng) 6-0, A Carter (Eng) bt K Maflin (Nor) 6-5, A McGill (Sco) bt N Bond (Eng) 6-4, L Brecel (Bel) bt S Baird (Eng) 6-1, G Greene (NIrl) bt C Wakelin (Eng) 6-2
WTA VOLVO OPEN, Charleston, USA, 1st Rd (selected)
(13) S Kenin (USA) bt S Lisicki (Ger) 7-5 6-4, (10) J Ostapenko (Lat) bt J Larsson (Swe) 6-1 6-4
SUPPORTERS’ CUP Peterborough 42 Belle Vue 48
(7.45 unless stated)
Premier League
Watford v Fulham Wolverhampton v Man Utd
Sky Bet Championship Middlesbrough v Bristol City Swansea v Brentford
Sky Bet League Two
Bury v Cambridge Utd Oldham v Tranmere
Vanarama Premier
AFC Fylde v Dag & Red Bromley v Leyton Orient Eastleigh v Barnet
Scottish Championship
Ayr v Morton, Inverness v Ross Co (7.05), Queen of S v Falkirk Scottish League One
Brechin v Montrose, Dumbarton v Airdrieonians
Vanarama North
Spennymoor Town v Guiseley Vanarama South
Torquay v Chelmsford
Evo-Stik Central
Alvechurch v Leiston, Coalville v Royston Town
Evo-Stik North
Matlock v Basford Stalybridge v Whitby, Workington v Mickleover Evo-Stik South
Frome v Beaconsfield, Weymouth v Met Police