Jurgen Klopp admits that he is unsure whether Liverpool can usurp Chelsea in the Premier League title race.
A 2-2 draw with Sunderland saw the Reds squander a chance to bridge the gap between themselves and the current leaders to just three points.
That shortfall was further compounded after Tottenham went on to end a 13-game winning run by Antonio Conte’s side on Wednesday evening.
With five points to make up on the west Londoners, who will travel to Anfield on January 31, Klopp is exercising caution over Liverpool’s current title prospects.
But Klopp remains cautious on his side’s chances of title success as they prepare for a brief break from the league by hosting Plymouth in the FA Cup third round.
He said: “I know what would be the maximum success, of course, but I am not sure that we can do it.
“I think we work to make it a little bit more likely. Before the season there was a lot of questions were asked about squad and we were convinced about the quality.
“We had already a lot of problems with injuries and stuff like this but we have coped with it, and that was all absolutely okay, so that’s what we have to do again.
“Now we know more about us. In the start of the season it was kind of imagination that we thought it could work. Now we know it can work.
“But there’s still a long way to go, a lot of games to play, a lot of problems to sort and all that stuff
“It’s not the moment. Usually I would say that this part of the year is the moment where you reflect a little bit and think about what happened.
“We had 24 hours to do it and didn’t do it because we had the next game. After the Sunderland game, that was our break of the year, if you want.
“That’s what I told the boys – it was so far, so good. Not perfect but all in a good way so keep on going.”