'Actions must follow words now'

"Players miss chances - that I can accept. What was a bit harder for me to accept was his behaviour after that chance, and by behaviour I mean it got too much in his head, where he wasn't the usual Darwin that works his butt off and makes sure he helps the team."

The gauntlet was thrown down by Arne Slot in his strangely early pre-Manchester City press conference on Thursday and Darwin Nunez has already responded on Twitter with a statement that ends with the word "resilience" in Spanish.

Resilience is exactly what Liverpool and their mercurial Uruguayan striker need to show between now and the end of the season.

In isolation, an emotionally charged draw against Everton during a Goodison Park swansong, and a midweek evening draw to a well-drilled Aston Villa side aren't the worst results ever. A reaction is required to make that so, though.

They have a huge chance to make another statement on Sunday against a side who are arguably one of the most mentally fragile the Premier League has to offer right now, especially after being softened up by Real Madrid. It's still Pep Guardiola's Manchester City though, and therefore it won't be a walk in the park by any stretch of the imagination.

While they may be easily discouraged by any level of suffering within the game, the "wounded animal" element will surely kick in if they feel encouraged enough to bite back.

Liverpool need to stop being so easily discouraged and any mentally fragile players need to be dragged up by the collective, rather than the collective being dragged down by poor moments from those lacking in confidence.

Resilience is the right word for it, but actions must follow words now.

Find more from Josh Sexton at The Anfield Wrap