Trent Alexander-Arnold is convinced new-look Liverpool are already capable of challenging Manchester City for their Premier League crown.
The top two clash at the Etihad on Saturday lunchtime with the Reds just a point behind the leaders
It's in stark contrast to the same stage last season when Jurgen Klopp's side were a whopping 15 points adrift of then top team Arsenal
And while less than four months into the campaign, Alexander-Arnold - a veteran of three previous title tilts at Liverpool, including the successful 2019/20 season - has seen enough in the dressing room to suggest the Reds could be in it for the long haul again this term
Trent
“Being in three campaigns where we should have won the league if it wasn’t for City - obviously we won one but were close in two more - you get a feeling for what you know you are capable of doing,"
"Looking around the dressing room, looking at the players we have got, the team, the spirit, the vibe around the team, that (challenging for the league) is something that we feel is achievable.
"If that wasn’t the case, I would be here saying ‘I want to get back in the top four’ because, genuinely, there is nothing wrong with that for this team, a team that has just finished outside the Champions League places.
"There is a rebuild going on, and new players and a lot of senior players have left, so it would be very normal to say ‘get back in the top four and push on from there’. But it (challenging) is something that we believe we can achieve, that is where our sights are at.
"If it doesn’t happen, we have ourselves to blame and we will focus on that if it happens.
"Right now we have put ourselves in a good position, we have built a great foundation. It is just about consistency. The hardest thing in football is consistently winning games."
Trent added
"At the start of last season it was the same as at the start of this season: our ambition was to win the league.
"We were nowhere near good enough to get anywhere near that last year and that's where we needed to put it right this year.
"Our aim as a team is to win the league and that's the aim again this season. Last season wasn't good enough."
"We brought new players in, it was about adapting as quick as possible and making sure we laid a good foundation at the start of the season,"
"I think the players who are experienced in being successful with the club all understand what it takes and what's needed to even challenge a team like City.
"Last season there were too many of us guys who never hit the levels we were expected to and demand of each other. Ultimately, that's how you end up being in fifth place.
"It was about getting that message across as quick as possible to the new players and young players coming in - that responsibility of we need everyone to perform and if we do get players who play really well over the course of the season, it will get us closer to the top of the table."
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