PREMIER LEAGUE - ENGLAND

  

Manchester United’s David de Gea dismisses ‘lies’ over Louis van Gaal relationship

Reports in Spain said pair have not spoken ‘for months’ 
• De Gea: I am playing the best football that I’ve ever played

David de Gea has refuted reports that he and Louis van Gaal do not enjoy a good relationship.

The goalkeeper’s contract expires in summer 2016 and he is yet to sign a new one,with reports in Spain this week stating that he has not spoken to the Dutch manager for months. But speaking to MUTV on Friday, De Gea denied there was any truth in those reports.

“Everything that has been written in the press about us not getting on is a lie,” he said.

“We both want the best for the club and the team, and the stories are complete lies.”

United are hopeful the 24-year-old will agree terms and the club was offered encouragement by De Gea stating he is currently particularly happy. “I think this is the best period of my career,” he said. “I am playing the best football that I’ve ever played. I’m really enjoying it at the moment and I’m just trying to improve with every training session and every game that goes by, giving 100% and concentrating to the maximum. That’s the way I want to continue.”

After United lost 2-1 at Swansea City last week De Gea is keen the team bounces back instantly by defeating Sunderland at Old Trafford on Saturday.

“Yes, we were on a good run of results and winning some important games but, the other day at Swansea, we lost the game. I don’t think we deserved to lose, but football can be like that,” he said. “You go to tough away grounds and you lose points sometimes. We have to move on from that as now we face Sunderland and we need to concern ourselves with that test.”

Ángel Di María, the British record £59.7m signing, admits he is has not always been at is best since joining from Real Madrid. “I’ve had a couple of games where things haven’t gone as well as they could have,” said the forward. “I think it’s part of that settling in process to the English game. I started off quite well but I think that made expectations then rise and everyone thought that I would just carry on in the same way.

“It took me a while to settle in fully in each of the countries where I’ve played before. But I just have to keep working hard and focussing on what I want, which is to do as well as I possibly can.”

Of United’s campaign so far Di María said: “I think it’s been going quite well. We’re in fourth place, fighting for a Champions League spot, which was the main aim, bringing Manchester United back into that competition. We’ve got a tough game coming up in the FA Cup against Arsenal, so we are there or thereabouts in both competitions, fighting hard to achieve something big.”

The Premier League’s in-form team host the reigning champions but both will be smarting from painful European experiences this week. Brendan Rodgers claimed City would have a “crucial” advantage owing to Liverpool’s Europa League trip to Besiktas, and that was before the tie went to extra time and his squad arrived back from Istanbul at 4.19am on Friday owing to a delayed flight. A comparatively refreshed City can exert more pressure on Capital One Cup finalists Chelsea by closing the gap to two points with a first win at Anfield since May 2003.Andy Hunter

Kick-off Sunday 2.05pm

Venue Anfield

Last season Liverpool 3 Man City 2

Live Sky Sports 1

Referee M Clattenburg

This season G16, Y65, R2, 4.31 cards per game

Odds H 2-1 A 5-2 D 13-5

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 Liverpool v Manchester City: probable starters in bold, contenders in light.

Liverpool

Subs from Ward, Ibe, Lallana, Johnson, Balotelli, Lovren, Manquillo, Lambert, Borini, Touré, Rossiter, Williams

Doubtful Henderson (ankle), Johnson (illness), Sakho (hip)

Injured Gerrard (hamstring, 7 Mar), Lucas (thigh, 14 Mar), Flanagan (knee, unknown), Jones (thigh, unknown), José Enrique (knee, unknown)

Suspended None

Form WWWDWW

Discipline Y50 R1

Leading scorers Gerrard, Sterling 6

Manchester City

Subs from Caballero, Wright, Boyata, Kolarov, Pozo, Dzeko, Jovetic, Sagna, Lampard, Fernando, Demichelis, Navas

Doubtful None

Injured None

Suspended None

Form DLDDWW

Discipline Y60 R2

Leading scorer Agüero 17