Origi expected tight top-four race

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insisted his side can cope with the loss of injured forward Sadio Mane, who will miss the rest of the Premier League season. The news has come as a blow to Liverpool's top-four hopes, having watched Mane scored 13 goals and add five assists in 27 appearances. However, Klopp believes Liverpool have shown they are capable of performing in the Senegal international's absence – pointing to the chances created without Mane in the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth. "I know everyone was talking before about how we miss Sadio Mane and we do miss Sadio Mane but he doesn't help us too much in defending and we created enough chances to have scored more," Klopp said ahead of Saturday's trip to Stoke City.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insisted his side can cope with the loss of injured forward Sadio Mane, who will miss the rest of the Premier League season. Mane will sit out the remainder of the campaign due to a knee injury, which requires surgery following an awkward tangle with Leighton Baines during last week's Merseyside derby victory over Everton. The news has come as a blow to Liverpool's top-four hopes, having watched Mane scored 13 goals and add five assists in 27 appearances. However, Klopp believes Liverpool have shown they are capable of performing in the Senegal international's absence – pointing to the chances created without Mane in the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth.

Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email Jurgen Klopp has told his side to stop believing they always need to ‘play like Liverpool ’ and start making opponents fear them instead. Yet after yet another mid-week disappointment against opponents from the bottom half of the table - when poor defending cost three points against Bournemouth, Klopp insisted he wants his bruised players to reinvent themselves. Asked if he was able to lift team for such a tough challenge, he said: “That’s easy, because I am confident. The only thing we have to forget, if you want, that we are Liverpool and have to play like Liverpool. I don’t think Stoke think ‘oh thank god he is not involved, he is not involved so now it is an easy game for us’.

Following their 2-1 road defeat against league leaders Chelsea on Wednesday, Manchester City bounced back nicely on Saturday defeating Hull City 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium. Hull, who sat in 17th before kickoff, were looking for their second ever league win over Manchester City. Yaya Toure‘s 29th-minute free-kick forced another save by the Hull keeper, which set up Manchester City’s opening goal. Just two minutes later, a cross from Jesus Navas went in off of Hull defender Ahmed Elmohamady for a 1-0 lead. Manchester City held on for a 3-1 victory at home, their eighth of the campaign.

The players already knew the Spurs result heading into the game, which added to the pressure and “test of character” posed by a relentlessly positive and fearless AFC Bournemouth. “It's more easy to control the game when you score first but at the end of the first half we were a little bit down. But in the second half we did well to control the game.” “We have to believe in everything.