Liverpool next 5 fixtures compared to Man Utd and Chelsea with Champions League chances clear

Liverpool trails Manchester United and Chelsea in the race to secure a Champions League place next season, with each team facing some tricky upcoming Premier League games

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot.(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)

Liverpool is still lagging behind in the race for the Champions League places, with its defeat against Manchester City this weekend seeing it fall further adrift of Manchester United and Chelsea.

Gary Neville is still predicting that Liverpool will finish high enough in the standings to qualify for UEFA's top competition next season, but the margin for error is narrowing. With 13 games remaining, the Reds will need an uptick in form to achieve their minimum aim.

"That will be a tough take for Slot and his players," Neville said on his Sky Sports podcast. "However, if they can somehow compartmentalize it to a bit of a freak game, which it was, they will still be fine.

"If they can put it in a box and not let it infect in here (points to his head), it is whether they are strong enough right now mentally to be able to cope with games every three days when challenging fixtures don't go their way.

"They are five points behind the top four or five. It's not a big gap; there is a long way to go and they will have to play most of the teams above them, so they have loads of opportunities.

"But there is a question mark over Liverpool. There is a question mark over whether they will finish in the Champions League places, but I still think they will.

"What they have to do is box that up very quickly and chuck it in a corner and forget about it. Not good enough first half, but they kept a clean sheet. Second half, dominated and got the goal and should have seen it home."

Arne Slot looks on prior to the Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester City.(Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)

How does the fixture list compare moving forward, though? Manchester United, for one thing, has a major advantage in that it is not in European competition and has also been knocked out of the domestic cups.

Right now, Michael Carrick's men and Chelsea are in the driving seat, but there is still time for Liverpool to turn things around.

Liverpool's next five Premier League games: Sunderland (A), Nottingham Forest (A), West Ham (H), Wolves (A), Tottenham (H)

Liverpool.com says: There are some very winnable games in the next run. In normal times, anything less than five wins would be a disappointment; right now, three or four would feel like a result.

Manchester United's next five games: West Ham (A), Everton (A), Crystal Palace (H), Newcastle (A), Aston Villa (H)

Liverpool.com says: Starting off easy-ish and ending harder, Manchester United should win the majority of these games (win the next one and it will be time to get the clippers out, of course, for one fan).

Things can change quickly, however, and if Carrick drops points a couple of times, it could unravel as fast as it has clicked into gear. More evidence is required that the current run is sustainable.

Chelsea's next five games: Leeds United (H), Burnley (H), Arsenal (A), Aston Villa (A), Newcastle (H)

Liverpool.com says: Chelsea will win its next two matches, and probably quite easily. After that, though, things are trickier. Liam Rosenior has started well, but the Stamford Bridge side is the most catchable for Liverpool.