'Did anyone expect?' - Jurgen Klopp launches defence of Liverpool players after Premier League title bid collapses due to disastrous Everton defeat

The Reds' devastating loss to Everton, coupled with comfortable victories for Arsenal and Manchester City against Chelsea and Brighton, respectively, has resulted in Liverpool slipping to third place in the Premier League table. To reignite their title hopes, Liverpool now rely on both Arsenal and City dropping points in their remaining league fixtures.

Despite the recent disappointments, Klopp is not ready to blame his players. The German instead is focused on finishing his tenure on a high by winning the remaining matches so that they remain in contention, at least mathematically, for the championship as long as possible.

Speaking to reporters, Klopp said: "Did anyone expect us to become champions at the start of the season? No, but it developed in this direction. We go now to Aston Villa, they still have a few points less than us, so we need points still to be definitely [qualified for Champions League places], also Tottenham. Nobody here is happy at all.

"Just to explain how different it is. We cannot go back to the point where we say 'Yeah, well [qualifying for the Champions League] is good enough'. It is very good, but because we were so close, we are very, very disappointed at this moment in time. We cannot change that."

Although the German manager believes that the Premier League title race is now a two-horse affair between Arsenal and Manchester City, Klopp has warned his rivals that his players will give their all until the final matchday.

"I'm not in the mood to give up, to wave the white flag. We just have to look after ourselves and make sure we play better," he said. "Nobody gave up here, we just need to be realistic."

Looking ahead to their upcoming fixture against West Ham, Klopp has little to worry about given their impressive record against the Hammers. Liverpool have already secured two victories against David Moyes' men this season, with a combined scoreline of 8-2. This includes a 3-1 triumph in the league back in September and a commanding 5-1 victory in the League Cup. Moreover, West Ham have conceded at least one goal in their last 15 encounters with Liverpool, with 12 of those matches seeing the Reds score multiple goals.