Carragher: Liverpool’s Top Four Chances Are Now 50-50

How can Liverpool screw up a relatively attainable goal? Let me count the ways. Or, barring that, let Jamie Carragher solidly berate his old team. Carragher had been firmly in the Liverpool-will-finish-in-top-four camp until Sunday afternoon’s miserable display against Crystal Palace.

The 2-1 defeat means Manchester City are only two points behind Liverpool in the table, with two games in hand. Manchester United are three points away from Liverpool, also with two games in hand.

Carragher believes this spells trouble for Liverpool’s hopes.

"I think Liverpool are in a big fight now - Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal are all in there," Carragher said following the Palace game. "Before today, I fancied Man City and Liverpool to make those top-four spots their own, but United will have had a massive lift today and then seen Liverpool's result; Arsenal, too, after reaching the final [of the FA Cup].

"Those two will now have massive belief they can make the top four. Other sides have games in hand and I think it's 50-50 now for Liverpool."

Carragher isn’t the only former Red who believes the tides have turned against the team.

"They've lost momentum,” Graeme Souness said. “They're no longer favourites to finish in top four. I think Jose Mourinho will really fancy it. Regardless of what he's saying, I think he thinks he's got a group of players who are really digging in and can get that fourth place, as well as to the Europa League final."

There’s still a month left in the season, and United still have games against City on April 27th and Arsenal on May 7th. All is obviously not lost, but the pressure is on Liverpool to win every game remaining.