Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has refused to rule his underfire squad out of the Premiership title race despite seeing his side slip a massive 17 points behind league leaders Man Utd and Arsenal.

"I'm thinking just about the next game and I will try to win the next three points against Sunderland. Our next game is more realistic to think about," Benitez said.

This latest loss saw Liverpool drop to seventh in the table, three places outside the top four English clubs who qualify for the Champions League. To make matters worse for the Reds, their city rival Everton occupies fourth spot, with David Moyes' men three points clear of Liverpool despite a lacklustre 0-0 draw with Tottenham Hotspur at Goodison Park.