Gerrard - Top four is a must

Gerrard: Must lead from the front

If we get back to our full-strength team, and we get people fit, we're confident we are good enough to finish in the top four.

Steven Gerrard
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Steven Gerrard admits it is essential that Liverpool secure UEFA Champions League qualification this season.

The Reds have endured a disappointing 2009/10 campaign so far and are in danger of seeing their efforts left in tatters.

Rafa Benitez's side currently find themselves languishing in seventh spot in the Premier League table and preparing for a tilt at Europa League rather than Champions League glory in the New Year after slipping out of Europe's most prestigious club competition at the group stage.

While all is not lost, with plenty of silverware still available and over half of the season still to play, there is a feeling of unease beginning to set in at Anfield.

Talismanic club captain Gerrard is all too aware that standards need to be raised in order to aid against the unthinkable, but he is confident that the Reds can recover from their disappointing start and end on a high.

"If we get back to our full-strength team, and we get people fit, we're confident we are good enough to finish in the top four," he said.

"(Fernando) Torres' return is massive for me, massive for everyone else. He's our main man, he's our top scorer and we need him back fit and firing.

"If that happens I'm sure we'll move back up the league and get in to the top-four places. Without a doubt that has to be the main aim this season."

Improving

Next up for Gerrard and Liverpool is a home date with Arsenal on Sunday and the Reds skipper is determined to help his side respond in the best possible manner to a demoralising 2-1 Champions League defeat to Fiorentina in midweek.

"It's obviously important for the club financially (to be in the top four) and having played in the Champions League for such a long time, I'm desperate to play in it again next season," added Gerrard.

"In the six games prior to the Fiorentina defeat we had gone unbeaten, including three successive clean sheets. We have been improving.

"It was a shame we lost it at the end, because we wanted to use the game to prepare for Sunday.

"But we will be right up for the Arsenal match. If we can get three points there and then take that into the Wigan home game next Wednesday, we can turn a corner."