Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has once again moved to dismiss talk of a Premier League title challenge by insisting that the club’s focus is on Champions League qualification.

The Reds put themselves firmly in the mix with a thumping 5-1 win against Arsenal, who had topped the table going into the sides’ Saturday clash.

With the result and the manner of the performance at Anfield, many pundits have been putting the Merseysiders alongside the Gunners, Manchester City and Chelsea as challengers for the league title.

But Rodgers – whose side are now three points clear of Tottenham in fifth and have a +33 goal difference – claims that the focus is on staying in the top four and bringing the highest level of European football back to the club and the city:

"I really only focus on the team and the football club, and make no mistake - I want to get into the Champions League for the people here at the club and the people of the city," he told Sky Sports.

"I came here to try and inspire the city as much as the team. I know what Champions League football can bring to a city like Liverpool and everything it can generate.

"I keep the focus on improving the players, improving our performance levels, and you can see from the continuation of the development we've made over the last 18 months that we're going to be a match.

"The momentum has been building and building, but I just think it would be unprecedented to go from being where we were last year in seventh position to first.

"We've got so many young players, who are still growing and developing and our squad is small. So I feel that we've still got work to do.

"But when we play like that and perform like that (on Saturday), people are obviously going to ask the question (can you win the league?).

"We're five points behind Arsenal, four behind Manchester City and six behind Chelsea and we still have them to play here at Anfield.

"But the main objective is just to finish as high as we possibly can and let's see where that takes us.”