Firmino Targets Champions League Football for Liverpool

A victory over Tottenham in February was meant to be Liverpool’s revival, the moment they got their season back on track and got to work securing a top four finish and a place in next season’s Champions League. It was followed up with a disheartening, disappointing loss to Leicester City.

Now, they get another chance to try and leverage a good result into a good run as they look to turn a victory over Arsenal into something more, and to do that they’ll be counting on the attacking trio of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mané, and Philippe Coutinho to do the heavy lifting up top.

“The objective of the season is to finish in the top four to be able to play in the Champions League,” noted Firmino in the upcoming matchday program when asked to discuss what the expectation is, both for the season and for he and his fellow attacker’s in turning that expectation into reality.

“Sadio and Philippe are exceptional players and quite unique,” added the Brazilian attacker. “With excellent players like that I know what they are going to do before they get the ball. We will all carry on giving our absolute all to keep improving and being the best that we can be.”

Liverpool stumbled the last time they faced their next opponents, Burnley, losing 2-0 in a shock result back in August. That game had been switched to Turf Moor on account of ongoing construction at Anfield, but most had still seen it as one of Liverpool’s easier matches to start the season.

In the thick of a packed race to finish in the top four that will see at least two of Tottenham, Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, and Liverpool miss out, they cannot afford another stumble. And they’ll need Firmino and his attacking teammates to be in top form.