Premier League: Here's what Thiago is saying about the top-four

Thiago Alcantara has made a top-four vow amid Liverpool's poor form this season

Thiago Alcantara is confident Liverpool can seal a Champions League spot this season after a poor run to the first half of the campaign.

Before the World Cup, back-to-back wins for the Reds over Tottenham and Southampton made their place in the Premier League table look more promising, but they remain seven points behind fourth-placed Tottenham despite only drawing with them, although with a game in hand against Chelsea.

Aston Villa host the Merseysiders next on Boxing Day as the 44-day wait for the Premier League to return comes to an end.

The first game at Anfield for Jurgen Klopp's men since November 12, comes up on December 30 against Brendan Rodgers' Leicester City.

Thiago believes a recent trip to Dubai for a warm-weather training program is a refresher for his teammates as he expresses confidence they can move up the table in the second half of the season.

The Spaniard said: "Can we make the top four? For sure, we are confident to arrive as far as we can in all competition.

"For sure, the break will benefit us. "It's new air in our lungs so yeah. I think the players that came from the World Cup will be a bit tired but at the same time they have more rhythm. But I think it's a new era, a new moment for all of us. It never happened that the World Cup was in the middle of the season, we just have to learn and improve with that.

"For sure, we all want to be better than the first half of the season, we work for it. I think today we did a high performance - physically as well. We're just ready for the next part of the season. It was a World Cup in December, so it's tricky to say what happened in the first half of the season. We just want to do it better and we will."

Liverpool returned to action on Thursday. They lost 3-2 to Manchester City in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup at the Etihad Stadium.