All to play for: Both Liverpool and Manchester City have everything to play for in the crucial Sunday encounter as the Reds eye a top-four finish, while City looks to reduce the point-gap with leaders Chelsea. PHOTO: AFP
Liverpool only returned to Merseyside on Friday after being knocked out of the Europa League by the Turkish club, and Brendan Rodgers' side have little time to recover before they return to action in Sunday's early game.
"We have to look forward and prepare ourselves as best we can. We need to recover and then go again on Sunday," said Mignolet. "It's another big game and we need to try to get back to winning ways. We have to focus on the job in hand.”
Mignolet believes that despite Liverpool's exit from the Europa League, they can still secure a return to Europe's elite club competition via a top-four finish in the Premier League.
"We always said we want to get in the Champions League for next season," he added. "Of course we can do it."
Meanwhile, Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini believes Liverpool's exertions in Europe will provide City with an advantage when the teams meet at Anfield in a crucial Premier League clash on Sunday.
Second placed City would dearly love a win to close the gap on leaders Chelsea and Pellegrini, who saw his City side beaten 2-1 by Barcelona in the Champions League last-16 first leg at Eastlands on Tuesday, knows Liverpool's face a tough return to domestic action.
"I think that of course it is an advantage, not a decisive one but an advantage nonetheless," said Pellegrini. "I have played in the Europa League and when you arrive on Friday it is not the best way to prepare for a game on Sunday.”
City were beaten 3-2 at Anfield late last season as the club marked the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, and Pellegrini hopes for a different outcome this time around.
Giroud aims to recover from Monaco embarrassment
Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud has vowed to bounce back from his side’s Champions League humiliation against Monaco when the Gunners host Everton on Sunday.
Giroud missed a succession of chances as Arsene Wenger's side slumped to a shock 3-1 last-16 first-leg defeat, and the France international is keen to make amends when the Toffees visit the Emirates Stadium. "I am not a better or worse player than three days ago, it is just about confidence and keeping strong," said the Frenchman.
The embarrassing defeat to Monaco triggered renewed criticism of Wenger and his players, with the manager's position once again called into question, and Wenger admitted his side now face a test of their resilience.
"For us what is important is to respond well. We are on a strong run in the Premier League and we have to respond to that disappointment in a strong way on Sunday afternoon — that's all we can do," said Wenger. "We are back in the top three in the Premier League and we have an opportunity to stabilise this position.”
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