Jurgen Klopp admitted his Liverpool team are out of the Premier League title race after just eight games.
A 3-2 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday saw Liverpool slide 14 points behind the Gunners, who lead the way by one point from Manchester City.
The top two have both played a game more than the Reds, who have won just twice and must tackle City next Sunday in a daunting Anfield test.
Manager Klopp had suggested before the Arsenal game that a title push was looking increasingly unlikely, given the unsure start.
But to not even be a factor in the race at this stage is a crushing blow considering how Liverpool performed last season, winning both domestic cups before losing out on the last day of the Premier League season and falling to Real Madrid in the Champions League final.
Assessing Liverpool's place in this season's pursuit of league honours, Klopp said: "We are not in the title race."
He said his team caused Arsenal "real problems, so that's the truth as well", but the former Borussia Dortmund boss knows points on the board are what matters.
Liverpool have begun the season by failing to win any of their first four Premier League away games (D2 L2), the first time they have endured such a start since 2010-11 under Roy Hodgson.
They stand a strong chance of going through to the Champions League knockout rounds again, having gathered six points from three group games so far, ahead of a trip to face Rangers on Wednesday.
That competition may become the priority if Klopp's side cannot make up significant ground on Arsenal and City.
"Of course, in a situation like ours, we play Arsenal, now we play Rangers obviously, and then we play Man City. Is that the perfect opponent for finding confidence back? Probably not," Klopp said.
"But we will go out there and fight and that's what we have to do and that's what we will do. And we are not here for being happy with the situation we are in and stuff like this, and thinking about last year and nearly there and nearly there – not at all, nobody of us is like that.
"But it is always like this, in a situation like this: you can ask all the questions, but my answers, I cannot change really a lot."
Klopp added: "If you are winning, there are five million things we could talk about, 'He's great, he's great and he's super, and the goals were outstanding'.
"Losing is always the same, the conversations are a bit more rusty. We work on solutions – today I saw some of them. But what you build with your hand you knock down with your backside. That's not helpful and that's what we did today."
He said Liverpool were "neither in the mood for jokes, nor happy".
"We are in a tough moment, and we want to get through this together," he said, "and that’s what we are working on."
Lucas Hernandez to miss Euro 2024 after PSG defender sustains knee injury
France have been dealt a blow ahead of Euro 2024 following confirmation that Paris Saint-Germain's Lucas Hernandez will miss the tournament.
Hernandez sustained a knee injury and had to be taken off in the 42nd minute of PSG's Champions League defeat to Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.
And on Thursday, PSG announced Hernandez had sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and will now need surgery.
"Lucas Hernandez suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee after coming off injured during the Champions League match," a statement read.
"An MRI scan carried out today confirmed the diagnosis made by the club's doctors on Wednesday evening.
"The player will undergo surgery in the next few days."
Hernandez suffered a similar injury during the last major international tournament, the 2022 World Cup, in which France finished as runners-up to Argentina.
The 28-year-old subsequently posted on his official Instagram account.
"When I signed with PSG, I made a promise that I would give my heart and soul to this team and this is what I have done ever since. Unfortunately, during last night's match I ended up with an injury," Hernandez said.
"I pushed myself back onto the field and tried to keep on fighting for our team, but it was not possible. My comeback will be stronger than ever before."
Al Ittihad 1-2 Al Hilal: Holders into King's Cup final
Al Hilal overcame Sergej Milinkovic-Savic's red card as Saud Abdulhamid's late goal sealed a 2-1 victory over Al Ittihad in the King's Cup semi-finals.
Without Karim Benzema, Al Ittihad ultimately lacked the firepower to make their numerical advantage count in Tuesday's clash.
Former Lazio midfielder, who joined Al Hilal as part of their spending spree last year, received a straight red card in the 42nd minute.
Al Ittihad's Abderrazzaq Hamed-Allah cancelled out Micheal's opener, but Abdulhamid popped up with the winner in the 81st minute.
Al Hilal are 10-time King's Cup winners, having won their 10th title last season.
The Saudi Pro League leaders, who are still without the injured Neymar, will now face either Al Khaleej or Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr in the final at the end of May.
Data Debrief: Malcom in the middle
Al Hilal might be missing their star Brazilian Neymar, but his compatriot Malcom is delivering when it comes to playmaking.
The former Zenit attacker set up both of Al Hilal's goals, creating three chances in total and registering a pass accuracy of 92.6 per cent, better than any of his team-mates.
Former Spain boss Del Bosque to oversee RFEF
Former Spain boss Vicente del Bosque will oversee a new committee supervising the RFEF.
Spain, which is due to be one of six host countries for the 2030 World Cup, announced the creation of a special committee until the federation holds elections to replace Luis Rubiales.
That is despite Pedro Rocha having this week been appointed as Rubiales' replacement, though he himself is under investigation amid a corruption probe.
Rubiales was dismissed following his unsolicited kiss on Jenni Hermoso during the Women's World Cup trophy ceremony in 2023.
The federation's former president was then arrested in early April as part of a corruption investigation.
Del Bosque led Spain to three consecutive trophies, winning the European Championships in 2008 and 2012, while also leading the team to their first World Cup success in 2010.
Prior to his time with the national team, he also won two Champions Leagues and two LaLiga titles while in charge of Real Madrid, where he made over 400 appearances as a player.
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