How many points Liverpool need to earn Champions League football after Everton loss and Jurgen Klopp admission

Liverpool’s hopes of securing the Premier League title took a huge and potentially fatal blow in the Merseyside Derby on Wednesday. The Reds, who were outright favourites to thump their relegation-threatened neighbours, couldn’t come up with a winning formula at Goodison Park and suffered perhaps their most disappointing loss of the season.

As has been highlighted multiple times this term, Liverpool’s struggles in front of goal once again cost them dearly. Despite taking 23 shots and registering seven on target, Jurgen Klopp’s side couldn’t find the back of the net, similar to their recent frustrating 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace, and the 0-0 draw with Manchester United earlier in the season.

As well as their inability to put away their chances, Liverpool’s defence failed to keep out one of the lowest-scoring attacks in the Premier League. Only Sheffield United have scored fewer goals than Everton this season but the Toffees had no problem putting two past their arch rivals on Wednesday night.

The title race is not over for Liverpool but time is rapidly running out and they are now relying on both Manchester City and Arsenal to drop significant points in these final games. The defeat to Everton keeps Liverpool in second place but City have two games in-hand and will leapfrog the Reds even with a draw against Brighton due to superior goal difference.

While the title remains uncertain, Klopp can at least guide his team to Champions League qualification one last time before he bows out. It’s well within sight for Liverpool but they still have not mathematically secured their spot yet.

Klopp conceded after the game: “I can’t say now that we are still fully in it; we need a crisis at Man City and Arsenal and need to win football games because if they start losing all their games and we do what we did tonight nothing changes. We are not safe in the Champions League as well so we should just play better football. It is not a problem of attitude or what the boys want. No one is doing that on purpose.”

How many points do Liverpool need for a top four finish?

As things currently stand, the top three spots are spoken for but Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur are fiercely battling for fourth place. Unai Emery’s side are currently ahead of Spurs by six points but the North Londoners have two games in-hand to keep the pressure on. Both could still earn a Champions League spot as well, if Liverpool’s form completely crumbles between now and the end of the season.

In order to avoid total collapse and ensure a top four finish, the Reds need five points to seal the deal without the anxiety of goal difference being taken into account. If both Villa and Spurs bank maximum points between now and the end of the season, the two clubs will finish on 78 points. Liverpool could lose each one of their remaining games and still qualify even in this scenario, but only if Man City also fail to pick up a single point in their remaining games, which is astronomically unlikely to happen.

So, assuming both City and Arsenal enjoy a strong end to their season, Liverpool must bank five points from their remaining four games to completely kill off any top four doubt. A win and two draws, or anything better than that, will put the Reds mathematically out of reach. Of course, the chances of both Villa and Spurs both keeping a perfect run on this final stretch are low, so there is realistically a lot more breathing room for Liverpool.

If Tottenham lose or draw their two games in-hand, their threat to Liverpool shrinks massively. The Reds are also due to face Villa in their penultimate clash — if they pick up three points at Villa Park but none from their other games, Liverpool will still finish ahead of Emery’s side, regardless of the rest of their results.