Mane: If it could be a penalty I’ll ’dive’ again

SADIO MANE has hit back at Pep Guardiola by insisting he is not a diver.

And the Liverpool star insists he will not change the way he plays just because the Manchester City boss accused him of cheating.

Mane was booked for simulation after going down theatrically under a challenge from Aston Villa full-back Frederic Guilbert on Saturday.

The Senegal star has also won late penalties recently against Leicester and Tottenham.

It led to Guardiola (above) saying Mane “sometimes dives” after his side’s win against Southampton with Reds boss Jurgen Klopp then defending his man.

Guardiola has since backtracked on his incendiary comments but, as the top two prepare to meet at Anfield, Mane has hit back.

He chuckled as he sarcastically explained he will not change how he reacts when he feels contact from an opponent in the area before denying Guardiola’s original claim.

“If it could be a penalty for sure I will ‘dive’ again,” he said. “If the dive will give me a penalty then I will do it to get it back. Why not?

“But what Jurgen said correct. I do not dive.”

Mane believes the timing of Guardiola’s comments was far from a coincidence. “It’s a bit clever from him to get the attention of the referee but I will just play my football,” he said. “I don’t pay attention to what he’s saying because it’s part of football. “Even though I saw him commenting about it, what he said, for me, I think it’s positive.

“The only thing I can say I will be ready for the team, to give everything possible, and to help my team.”

Mane’s booking against Villa and Guardiola’s comments will put extra focus on the Liverpool forward if he does go down again on Sunday.

“There was contact for sure,” he said when asked is about his weekend booking. “Maybe it was not a penalty and he didn’t give it, and he gave me a yellow card. I don’t have any problem about it.

“It can happen in football and we have seen many people, some diving and get penalties, some got a penalty and the referee didn’t give it. You have to deal with it.

“If I get a penalty, yeah it’s a penalty. If no penalty, no penalty, but it will never change the way I’m playing or the way

I’m doing my things.”

Liverpool host the defending champions looking to extend their six-point lead at the top of the table.

Mane added: “It will be really important for us to get a positive result and we will be ready, spot on from the first second until the last.

“We will give everything possible to win.”