Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has described his former side's Premier League meeting with Middlesbrough as a 'cup final' due to the importance of what is on offer.
The Reds head into the concluding round of top-flight fixtures on Sunday knowing that victory over their already-relegated opponents will secure just a second top-four finish in eight years.
Boss Jurgen Klopp has tried his best to play down the visit of Boro, insisting that it is just another game for his charges, but Carragher has warned Liverpool that they cannot afford to squander their big chance.
"The final game is actually a final. There is no other way to describe what is the most important Premier League fixture Liverpool have contested since challenging for the title in April 2014," he told the Daily Mail.
"This is a huge moment for my old club. Liverpool have only been in the Champions League once since 2009 and that particular campaign passed in a flash, with just six group games and one solitary victory against the Bulgarian team Ludogorets.
"There was a point before then when we took Champions League qualification for granted. During Rafa Benitez's spell as manager, we would return to pre-season training confident that, even if we endured a bad run of results at some point, we would almost be guaranteed to finish in the top four."
Arsenal are the side looking to overhaul Liverpool, sitting one point further back in fifth ahead of their meeting with Everton at the same time.
Daniel Lewis
