Sagna: Maybe I shouldn´t have played Liverpool league fixture

Manchester City defender Bacary Sagna admits it may have been a mistake to make himself available for the Premier League fixture against Liverpool in November, which came in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in Paris.

Sagna was playing for France against Germany when 130 people were killed across the French capital, with the Stade de France among the sites targeted by the perpetrators.

The former Arsenal full-back featured for the national team once again against England at Wembley four days later, but believes the shock of the incident affected his form upon his return to domestic action in a 4-1 home defeat to Liverpool.

Sagna returns to Wembley with City on Sunday – this time for the League Cup final against the Anfield club – and hopes to come away with happier memories.

“This is a cup final and it will be different,” he told The Mirror. “Maybe I shouldn’t have played the last game against Liverpool. Maybe.

“I don’t want to blame what happened in Paris on [for] my performance because I played for the national team after it happened.

“But, looking back, we are all supposed to be at a maximum level when we play – and ultimately I played really bad that day.

“I was involved in two goals for Liverpool, so I don’t know if it was a mistake to play.

“That is football and you learn from it. That is in the past and I want to look forward and be happy.

“I have other happy memories of Wembley – like winning the FA Cup there with Arsenal [in 2014].

“Whether I’m playing or not against Liverpool, I’ll try to be happy at Wembley this time. I just want to win.”