Jurgen Klopp sends warning to Liverpool’s top-four rivals: ‘We are still around’

Liverpool will hope to keep their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League alive when they host Manchester United on Sunday

Jurgen Klopp has warned Liverpool’s rivals for a Champions League place that they are not completely gone from the battle for fourth place and will go full throttle to ensure they are playing in the major European competition again next season.

The German sees Tottenham as the favourites to secure a top-four finish, along with Arsenal and the two Manchester clubs, but is aware Antonio Conte’s team still have to visit Anfield in the run-in.

But Liverpool have taken 10 points from their last four league games to go up to sixth and keep their own hopes alive and, without that improved run, Klopp feels they could already be trapped in no-man’s land.

He said: “The important thing about the chase is that the chase is not a one-day trip, you really have to go for it. I have no clue what it means to them but I think they realise already we are not completely gone.

“It is not that if we are in no man’s land. And that is clear. But we have played pretty much all of the teams ahead of us still – Newcastle not anymore but Tottenham still to come here. Tottenham won their game against Chelsea so if they win all their games our chase is pretty much over already.

“We don’t have to think about: just take it game by game and go for it, go full throttle for it, go really into the game and try to win it somehow, and use the good moments and don’t suffer from the lesser good moments.

“What it means for the other teams I don’t know I am not there but they know we are still around and that’s better than if they can’t see us any more.”