Mignolet urges Liverpool teammates to shake off Manchester City drubbing ahead of Sevilla showdown

Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet has urged his teammates to get over their 5-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester City and refocus their minds on the Champions League opener against Sevilla in midweek.

Jurgen Klopp suffered his heaviest defeat as Liverpool manager as his team was taken apart in ruthless fashion by their Premier League title rivals at the Etihad Stadium.

Mignolet said he was eager to put behind the harrowing defeat at City and return to winning ways in their Champions League Group E clash against Sevilla at Anfield on 13 September.

"We have to take the first 20 minutes and how we played before the international break and take it into the next game," the goalkeeper was quoted as saying by Press Association Sport.

"Of course we can't neglect the performance after that – we have to keep it in mind – but we have another game midweek when we can prove ourselves again.

"That's probably a good thing, the game comes early and we can put things right, change it again.''

The defeat against City was heavily influenced by Sadio Mane's sending off late in the first half for a dangerous challenge on City goalkeeper Ederson Moraes, and Mignolet said the numerical disadvantage proved too difficult to overcome for his team.

"City are already a really good team, particularly at home. They have players who can change games and make chances," Mignolet stated.

"Then you go a man down and the momentum and morale changed a bit. They can play the game even better. We had to change something but they quietened us down very quickly.''

Mane was given a straight red card by referee Jon Moss after he caught Ederson's face with a high boot. The City goalkeeper needed eight minutes of treatment on the pitch before he was carried off on a stretcher, but Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp insisted that the challenge was "an accident" and not worthy of a red card.

"I've had it before when you have to jump into people's feet – and you have to be brave. It's always dangerous," Mignolet said.

"You can't really think about what might happen. He just thought about the ball and went for it. He didn't see what was coming just after it."