PEP GUARDIOLA lit the fuse for next week’s Anfield blockbuster by labelling Sadio Mane a diver.

Liverpool and Manchester City clash next Sunday after Guardiola’s City snatched a last-gasp 2-1 Etihad win against Southampton.

Liverpool needed an even later Mane goal to pull off their great escape by the same scoreline at Aston Villa.

But the Reds’ Senegalese ace was booked after going down in the box.

And Guardiola took a swipe at him, saying: “Sometimes he’s diving, sometimes he has this talent to score incredible goals. He’s a special talent.”

Guardiola did, however, praise Mane for his knack of scoring late goals.

He added: “If it’s one time, two times, then it’s ‘we were lucky, we were lucky’.

“But it has happened in the last two seasons many, many times — they have a special character to do that.”

It is not the first time this season Mane has been accused of diving.

Alan Shearer pointed the finger when he went down easily to earn a match-winning penalty against Leicester last month.

Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy also branded Mane a cheat when he was yellow-carded after another dive in the box against Crystal Palace.

It all stokes the fire ahead of a potentially explosive clash between the Premier League’s top two sides.

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