Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool cannot think about the Premier League title race.
Wednesday’s 1-0 reversal to Brighton saw the defending champions fall seven points behind Manchester City after suffering back-to-back home defeats.
Pep Guardiola’s side travel to Anfield this weekend looking for their first win since 2003 and to take their advantage over the Reds into double figures.
But Klopp insists that his own team cannot be deemed challengers for the trophy they finally lifted just seven months ago as things currently stand.
He said: “I am manager of Liverpool and so I have to say we want to be champions, and of course we do.
“But you need games for it and we need performances for it and we don’t have that.
“We will fight for three points, it is not decided who will get the three points on Sunday, but we have to play better and we will try.
“These gaps are not interesting at the moment. They are the result of the results we had already. What we can influence is the next game.
“Tonight it was not enough. We know that and we have to change that.”
Reflecting on the defeat to the Seagulls, the Liverpool manager credited the visitors for their win while also conceding their hosts were mentally drained.
“We didn’t create a lot, and for me the team looked mentally fatigued tonight. That leads to not the best play as well,” added Klopp.
“It was a tough week travelling to London and back twice [to play Tottenham and West Ham].
“We were not fresh enough which means we were not good enough to break the formation of Brighton and in the end they scored a goal and had other chances.
“They deserved to win.”