Liverpool's Sadio Mane tries a bicycle kick during their English Premier League match against Everton at Goodison Park in Liverpool. Photo: IC

Liverpool forward Sadio Mane says he will not change his style of play despite Pep Guardiola's "diving" accusation.

The Manchester City boss made the claim at the weekend, when the Senegal international was booked after going down in the penalty area following a challenge by Aston Villa's Frederic Guilbert.

Manager Jurgen Klopp jumped to his defense and Guardiola subsequently rowed back on the comments, saying they were part of a longer speech in which he praised the forward.

Mane, unaware of the subsequent climbdown, was unmoved by Guardiola's initial criticism as he believes if there is contact he has a right to go down.

And he offered a sarcastic response to the City boss ahead of the match between the two sides at Anfield on Sunday, saying, "If it could be a penalty for sure I will 'dive' again.

"If the 'dive' will give me a penalty then I will do it. Why not? But what Jurgen said is correct. I do not dive," said Mane.

"There was contact [at Villa] for sure. Maybe it was not a penalty and he didn't give it, and he gave me a yellow card. To be honest I don't have any problem about it.

"It's what I want to keep doing. If I get a penalty, yeah it's a penalty. If no penalty, no penalty, but [it] will never change the way I'm playing or the way I'm doing my things."

Guardiola's criticism was seen as the start of mind games leading up to Sunday's Anfield encounter and Mane said the City boss had been a "bit clever" to get the attention of the referee.