Ex-Liverpool striker Michael Owen believes his former club will make the top four despite their slow start to the season.

Jurgen Klopp’s side are eleven points behind leaders Arsenal, whilst they are seven adrift of reigning champions Manchester City.

Owen predicts that the Citizens, the Gunners, Chelsea and the Reds will finish in the Champions League places, while the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham will miss out:

“It is tough to call the top four. Manchester City for sure. I think Chelsea are probably going to be in the top four. Arsenal as well. It’s very hard to leave one out, isn’t it? I’m actually torn between Liverpool and Tottenham at the moment. I’m going to say Liverpool, but how can you leave Tottenham out of the top four when they are playing particularly well as well?”

“Manchester United, they’ve got a good chance. But there’s going to be a massive team that everybody would expect to be in the top four that are going to miss out this year. I do think Liverpool are still right up there among the elite. I think that even though Arsenal had a good start to the season and Liverpool are maybe ten points or so behind them, I still think that Manchester City and Liverpool are the top two teams in Europe for that matter. So it’s so hard to say. I’ll probably say Tottenham and Manchester United will miss out.”

Liverpool are definitely moving in the right direction after recording successive wins against City and West Ham, but they still don’t look like their old selves. Klopp’s men struggled in the second half versus the Hammers on Wednesday night and they will need to ensure they are up to the task when they face Nottingham Forest this weekend.

If they do make it three victories on the trot at the City Ground, you will then feel that the Reds’ season is back on track, with a top-four place firmly in their sights.