Simon Mignolet: We can't afford to get sucked into the hype around Man Utd clash
Simon Mignolet has warned his team mates they can't afford to get sucked into the hype around Sunday's crunch Anfield clash with Manchester United
Boss Brendan Rodgers wants to take revenge for the 3-0 humiliation his side suffered at Old Trafford back in December.
But the real reward is that a win would lift Liverpool above their bitter rivals into the Premier League's precious fourth place and potentially open the gateway to next year's Champions League.
It will crank up the nerves for a capacity crowd and millions watching on TV - but Mignolet says the pressure must stay outside the dressing room.
The Belgian keeper said: "Of course we know it is a big game, and especially playing at home, but we want to get the three points and that is the only thing we will think about."
Liverpool still have bitter memories of the end of last season when after beating Manchester City they faced Chelsea at Anfield with the chance to take the title, but did get sucked into the hype and got beaten with Steven Gerrard's infamous slip costing them their chance.
Mignolet added: "As professional football players we cannot get carried away with this game, even though we know there will be a huge build up.
"We have to focus on our jobs. If we are going to make more of it than it is, then we might get flustered or fail to address it in a professional manner.
"Our task is to focus on our job rather than what the opponent does, who the opponent is, or how big a game it is."
Liverpool go into the game on an astonishing run of form - Monday's 1-0 win at Swansea takes their tally to 26 points from the 30 available since the start of 2015.
And Mignolet himself has recovered from a stuttering mid season to equal a club record of six successive Premier League clean sheets away from home.
He said: "I was aware of that figure, but it is not my record, we have done it as a team. It is always nice to know that you have done something like that, but we have to make sure we go ahead of that record too now.
"It's very difficult to say whether this is the best I've felt in my time at Liverpool, but every time we play it gets easier.
"The back three - or five - are working really well together and everybody knows their jobs.
"In the second half at Swansea we didn't give anything away, and then it is easy to play as a goalkeeper.
"In the first half I had to make a couple of saves, but that is why you are a goalkeeper, you are there to do that.
"We showed a lot of character in that game - we are a bunch of good lads who will work hard and then sometimes it is even more satisfying to get the three points in that way."
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