Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has admitted that it will be very difficult for his side to get in to the Premier League top four after losing 4-1 to Arsenal, reports the Daily Express.
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The Reds are now five points behind fourth placed Manchester United, and the Red Devils also have a game in hand on their fierce rivals. They recently lost to the Old Trafford side as well.
Rodgers said: “Yeah it will be very, very difficult. It was a game we needed to take something from. Today is a big disappointment but we didn’t defend well enough in key moments of the game. Right from the kick off we were too negative. We like to play forward but we put ourselves under the pressure and in the first 10 minutes and they had control.
“I thought after that we started to find our passes and we were the better team and created the best chances. So we were looking to go in at half time 0-0 or maybe in front – but then we defended very poorly for all three goals.”
After challenging for the title in the last campaign, the Merseyside club will surely be disappointed by their inability to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Not being in Europe’s premier club competition may also have an impact on their chances of keeping Raheem Sterling at Anfield.
The 20-year-old recently admitted in an interview with the BBC that he is ‘flattered’ by interest from Arsenal.