Goal.com

Mar 12, 2013 9:25:00 AM

The Reds captain believes the club can finish the campaign on a high and secure a Champions League spot via the "back door" if they manage to keep up their good form

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is urging his team to pull off the "perfect finish" as they look to mount a late charge for the top four and secure Champions League football next season.

The Reds have recorded three Premier League wins on the bounce and inflicted Tottenham's first league defeat since December in a 3-2 triumph at Anfield on Sunday.

And Gerrard believes the victory will provide the club with the belief and momentum to step up their challenge for a Champions League spot.

"We can't look for excuses. We are where we are and we need to take responsibility for where we are in the league," Gerrard told reporters.

"Liverpool don't belong in seventh, eighth or ninth in the table, we want to push for the European places year after year. Hopefully, it's not too late but we will need to produce the perfect finish to sneak in the back door.

"This season has been slightly strange in that usually we do really well against the top sides and slip up against the sides we should be beating. But we have been putting those sides away quite comfortably, 3-0, 4-0 and 5-0, and looking really good - yet we haven't got the points we've needed against the top sides.

"The result and performance against Spurs will give us great confidence and belief. Hopefully it will be a springboard for us to go on and finish the season really strongly."

Liverpool currently sit sixth in the league table - seven points off fourth-placed Chelsea having played a game more - and Gerrard insists his side will be ready to take advantage of any slip-ups from the teams above them.

"The top five places are the target. Let's see what happens in other big games that are not in our control," he added.

"Hopefully, the teams above us will slip up. All we can control is our performances and our consistency and finish strong. I think, on current form, along with ourselves Tottenham are probably the best team in the league, so to beat them is encouraging.

"Our form is good, but we can't afford to get carried away just because we've beaten Tottenham. We need to show that in all of our remaining games. We want to finish above Everton and as high as we can in the league."

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