Arne Slot conceded on Tuesday that his side are "not performing to the standards of Liverpool" and need to be nearly perfect for the remainder of the season just to qualify for the Champions League.
The defending English champions sit sixth in the Premier League, four points outside a place in the top five, which is likely to secure Champions League football for next season.
The Reds conceded twice in a dramatic finale to lose 2-1 to Manchester City on Sunday, but it is a wider trend that is most concerning for Slot
Liverpool have won just six of their last 20 league games dating back to September and only one of seven in 2026.
"They know what the standards of Liverpool mean, and we are not performing to the standards of Liverpool at the moment, and they feel that disappointment," Slot said in his pre-match press conference ahead of Wednesday's trip to Sunderland.
"Every game, it feels as though we are going to win it, but it doesn't happen. That is probably more difficult than when you play a game and throughout the whole game you feel like the other team is better and you're just not good enough.
"But that's not what they feel. They feel performance-wise that they can compete with any other team in any league in the world.
"But reality is that we don't perform to Liverpool standards."
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Leaders Arsenal and City are expected to battle it out to win the title, leaving three more places in the Champions League from four likely contenders.
Third-placed Aston Villa are eight points ahead of Liverpool with in-form Manchester United three points further back in fourth and Chelsea in fifth.
"To close the gap to numbers three, four and five, that means you have to win a lot and that is not what we have done this season," added Slot.
"That is why that has to be better and that is why we have to be close to perfection."
Read our round-up of Arne Slot’s press conference on the eve of Liverpool's visit to Sunderland ⤵️ #SUNLIV
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Dominik Szoboszlai's suspension for a red card against City creates another selection dilemma for Slot.
The Hungarian has filled in at right-back in recent weeks with both Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong out injured.
Joe Gomez has only just returned to training so one of midfielders Curtis Jones or Wataru Endo are set to start in defence against a Sunderland side which boast the only undefeated home record in the Premier League this season.