Manchester City defender Angelino has played down the significance of next Sunday's Premier League clash with Liverpool at Anfield, insisting the team's immediate focus is on their Champions League tie with Atalanta. The reigning champions trail the league leaders by six points after both sides secured late victories over the weekend.
Angelino made his first league start for City in the 2-1 win over Southampton, where Kyle Walker scored a late winner. However, Liverpool's late double against Aston Villa maintained their advantage at the top. The 22-year-old left-back, who rejoined City from PSV Eindhoven in the summer, stressed that the squad is not looking ahead to the Anfield encounter just yet.
“Our focus is on the Champions League now,” said Angelino. “We know we have a very important week before the break so we have to stay positive and work hard for the next game, and then after doing our job in the week we will focus on Liverpool.” City travel to Milan to face Atalanta on Wednesday, where a victory would secure qualification to the knockout stages with two group matches to spare.
Despite the title clash being billed as a potential decider, Angelino insisted there is still a long way to go. “We have a long season and anything can happen,” he said. “We just have to focus on trying to win every game and not worry about what other teams do.” The Spanish youngster also highlighted the team spirit after the hard-fought win over Southampton, describing the squad as “a big family”.
Angelino, who made his first-team debut in 2015 but had been loaned out multiple times, expressed his delight at finally making a league start for the club. “I have been many years with the club so I loved making my first league start. It was a special day,” he added.
