Rivals keep leaving the door open for Liverpool in top-4 race; it’s time for the Reds to shut it

Liverpool currently occupy the fourth and final Champions League qualification berth in the Premier League table, but there’s a lengthy queue of teams in close pursuit of the Reds.

At the start of the season, few would’ve expected the champions’ priority for the second half of the campaign to be a mere top-four finish, rather than a sustained push at retaining their top-flight title, but the latter aim has realistically faded well into the distance (despite some pundits claiming otherwise).