Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold has claimed that next weekend's showdown with Tottenham Hotspur could end up making or breaking the Reds' season.
Jurgen Klopp's injury-hit side saw their difficult season hit a new low in a 2-1 loss to Leeds United on Saturday, ending their 29-game unbeaten Premier League run at Anfield.
Liverpool have only accrued 16 points from their first 12 games of the Premier League season to languish in ninth in the table - 15 points adrift of current leaders Arsenal.
Fourth-placed Newcastle United also sit eight points clear of the Reds, albeit having played a game more, and Liverpool face a pivotal showdown away to Tottenham next Sunday.
Should results not go Liverpool's way next weekend, they could find themselves 18 points off top spot and 11 adrift of the top-four places ahead of the World Cup break, and Klopp has admitted that he is concerned about his side's Champions League chances.
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Alexander-Arnold therefore believes that the meeting with Antonio Conte's side could be a season-defining game for Liverpool, telling the club's official website: "I'd say we all believe in ourselves, we believe in the way we play, the squad and what we can achieve.
"But I think when you do get setbacks, it can potentially make you second-guess yourself and question things. Clearly as a team something's not going right, it's not going as well as we want it to go.
"That's something for everyone to think about, for everyone to address and make sure we put it right, especially next week against Spurs, top-four rivals. We kind of need to go there and get some points if we've got any chance of reaching our aims and aspirations for the season."
Liverpool have only won four of their opening 12 games of the Premier League season, and not a single one of those victories has come on the road, drawing two and losing three of their five away games so far.
The Reds are one of just six sides yet to win an away match in England's top flight this term, being joined by Brentford, Crystal Palace, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest.
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Not since the 2006-07 season (seven) have Liverpool endured a longer winless run away from home at the start of a campaign, but Alexander-Arnold believes that the World Cup break will be of benefit to his side.
"I think we are not in the greatest run of form - I think a lot of players would say that about themselves and as a team in general," the England international added.
"But we're still creating opportunities to score and win games. We just haven't been able to take them, especially (in the) last two Premier League games.
"I think it's important for us to regroup, assess what's going wrong. I think right now, it's kind of, 'pick up as many points as you can now going into this break (for the World Cup, which starts on November 20).'
"And potentially this break will come at a decent time for us to reset and be able to get our heads straight to go into the second half of the season."
Prior to taking on Tottenham, Liverpool welcome Napoli to Anfield for Tuesday's Champions League clash having already secured a place in the last 16 of the competition.
Ben Knapton
