Dominik Szoboszlai suggested that Liverpool would be lucky to qualify for the Conference League, let alone the Champions League, after they were held to a home draw by Tottenham. The midfielder fired the Reds ahead before the break with another free-kick goal, his fifth of the season. It really should have been saved by Guglielmo Vicario, but the Spurs goalkeeper flapped at the effort and ended up palming the ball into his own net.

It looked like Liverpool would hold on to secure all three points, but Tottenham pushed for an equaliser and finally got their reward when Richarlison scored in the final minute of normal time. The result dealt a major blow to Liverpool's hopes of Champions League qualification, especially with Manchester City and Aston Villa dropping points earlier this weekend.

Szoboszlai, who was visibly gutted after the match, told Sky Sports: "We have to wake up. If we keep going like this, next season we should be happy if we play Conference League.

"In the first half, we played very well. We controlled the whole game, they hardly created many chances. Second half, I don't know, we just don't do the same things like in the first half.

"The question is why? We will sit down together. This is the most difficult time. We have to stick together.

"I didn't hear the boos [at full-time] but I can understand because last season we became champions and this season we are not performing in the way that we should be.

"They should stay behind us because last season when we were champions four games before the end, everybody was happy. Support us now when we're in difficult times."

Jamie Carragher, who was on co-commentary duties for Sky Sports, also pointed out how Liverpool's failure to beat Spurs could prove crucial in the race for Champions League qualification.

"This is an absolute disaster for Liverpool in terms of their Champions League qualification," said the former Reds defender. "They have actually made Tottenham look like a decent team. The defending was absolutely shocking from Liverpool.

"I've been saying all half that Liverpool have been sleepwalking into this. It was an awful performance. No disrespect to Tottenham but they are the worst team in the Premier League now, probably for the last couple of months.

"They are exactly who you want to play, playing at home, the incentive of your results this weekend and to put in a performance like that, but it's been like that all season.

"And the big question on everybody's lips is that down to the manager or the makeup of the squad? Could a new manager completely revitalise these type of players and bring that energy and sort of intensity back into this team? I'm not sure.

"I think a lot of it goes back to what happened in the summer, the profile of the players that came in and there's just too many players who just want to play when the ball's at their feet.

"They don't want to dig in and make it difficult. That's why it's so easy to play against this Liverpool team."

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