Liverpool’s chase for the Champions League places is set to hot up over the coming weeks and there are plenty of Reds fans here in the Transfer Tavern that are confident Jurgen Klopp will secure a top-four spot come the end of the season!

As things stand, the Reds are looking good for qualification, but with a handful of games still left to play the best way to get over the line is by going out and getting wins on the board – football is a simple game, really.

And Kopites here in the Tavern are confident their team can do just that, despite wobbling in their recent home draw with Bournemouth.

But with a tricky run of fixtures on the horizon, which teams do we think will pose the biggest threat to Champions League football returning to Anfield next season?

With that in mind, here are THREE matches that will be pivotal in Liverpool’s top four push…

Crystal Palace

Liverpool host Crystal Palace at Anfield on the 23rd April and it’s a game that has our Reds-mad barman here in the pub slightly worried.

Palace have shown their ability to topple some of the biggest teams in England over the past few weeks, with Chelsea and Arsenal both downed by the Eagles.

If there’s any game where there could be a real surprise, it’s this one.

West Ham

Liverpool travel to the London Stadium to face West Ham on 14th May, which could prove to be a massive game for both teams at opposite ends of the table.

For the Hammers, they’ll want to end the season on a high by beating one of the bigger sides in the division whilst for Liverpool, it’s a trip to a stadium that hasn’t yielded much joy for Slaven Bilic all campaign.

That pushes up the pressure on the Reds on the day, who will be expected to win the game easily. They shouldn’t take West Ham lightly though.

Middlesbrough

Depending on how things play out from here until the last match against Middlesbrough on May 21st, this game might not wield any significance in the slightest.

But if things do go down to the last day, then relegation-fighting Boro will be up for this one as much as the Reds, who might need that last win to push them over the line.

Could it all come down to the last day? Our Reds fans here in the Tavern certainly don’t hope so…