Liverpool’s only chance of clinching a top-four spot this season is if they apply pressure to the likes of Chelsea and Leicester above them in the table, according to Jamie Carragher.

The Sky Sports pundit says he doesn’t think the Reds will be able to make up lost ground on their rivals, but they can make them nervous by putting a good run of results together:

“At this moment, I still believe Liverpool will miss out on the top four. However, they need to make teams like Leicester and Chelsea nervous and see what they can do. With four or five games to go, they need to be in a position where they can jump at any mistakes the teams above them make.”

Jurgen Klopp’s side are currently five points off the top four with nine games to go, and while that gap isn’t insurmountable, it is still asking a lot for every team around them in the table to lose form.

Even clubs such as Everton and Tottenham below Liverpool in the league could leapfrog them if they win their games in hand, while West Ham could also stretch their advantage over the Reds to five points.

Carragher is, therefore, correct to say Champions League qualification is still a longshot for the Premier League champions, even though their form has improved somewhat.