Jurgen Klopp’s men head to Watford with a massive advantage in the top-four battle and have to fully profit from the setbacks of their rivals

Before the weekend’s games had been played, a representative from one of the top football agencies in Europe had explained why an exciting, exceptional client - continuously linked with a move to the Premier League - would not be tempted by either Manchester United or Arsenal this summer.

The former, he declared, “makes you feel nothing when you watch them play” and the latter “do not have a direction you can believe in.”
Discussions with the player to map out his development path had taken these points into consideration, plus the possibility that both teams could finish outside the top four.
That eventuality is looking increasingly likely following United’s home draw with Swansea City on Sunday - their 10th stalemate of the season at Old Trafford, which included another favourable refereeing decision as Marcus Rashford’s dive earned a penalty - as well as Arsenal’s quick capitulation against Tottenham at White Hart Lane.

It is now very much advantage Liverpool in the chase for Champions League football, an achievement which would help make them the standout destination for the above-mentioned talent and others in his bracket. 
“They have a manager in Jurgen Klopp, who players want to work for and whom he gets the best out of,” the agent remarked on the Merseysiders.


“They have a philosophy that is easy to buy into, the squad is young with some top players, and there’s a high ceiling for improvement. But the big thing they are missing is being on that big stage - it cost them a few signings last summer.”
On Monday night, when Liverpool travel to Watford, they need to take a gigantic step towards rectifying that.


Currently third in the standings, level on points and goal difference with Manchester City - Pep Guardiola's charges also enduring a setback with a 2-2 draw at Middlesbrough - the Reds have to shake off the defeat to Crystal Palace and put the squeeze on their rivals.
Securing a spot in the Champions League not only massively assists their own ambitions and transfer plans, it can impede that of their adversaries who miss out. Jose Mourinho's side are current favourites to land the Europa League, but even so, they have limped through rather than lit up recent rounds despite an incredibly kind run.
Over the course of the top-flight campaign, Liverpool have been superior to both United and Arsenal and must continue to reflect that in the final four fixtures.
The Reds, of course, have their flaws. They undoubtedly concede way too many, and have been their own worst enemies as evidenced at Anfield against Palace, when Christian Benteke didn’t need to be near his explosive best to twice thwart them.

Individual errors, poor game-management and a lack of cunning has undone them a few times, but Liverpool have contributed some staggeringly electric play in the campaign and have hardly fallen outside the top four since gameweek six.
Klopp has stated he does not “feel fear – not one second so far” and with United and Arsenal still having to tackle each other before navigating their own respective tricky fixture schedules, his confidence is understandable.

“It is easy mathematics to know what points the other teams can get, but they play against each other and all that stuff,” the Reds boss explained. “No team of the teams we fight for top four can win all the games. They play in a few moments against each other.”
Liverpool, admittedly, are far from the side that blew through the opposition with an attacking blitz during the first half of the season.
The unavailability of Philippe Coutinho, Sadio Mane, Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana, the centre-back pairing of Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren as well as Daniel Sturridge at different periods has drastically decreased their potency.