Anfield holds the key for title bid, says Rodgers

Brendan Rodgers believes Anfield holds the key to Liverpool maintaining their Premier League title bid.

Liverpool have travelled to Tottenham, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Everton already this season and have only taken four points from those five matches.

Two consecutive defeats – against City and Chelsea – have seen Rodgers’ side drop from top to fifth in the table, six points adrift of leaders Arsenal.

But the Northern Irishman has not ruled his side out of the title race and feels Liverpool’s home matches will prove crucial.

“I think it’s (the title race) open,” he said after Sunday’s 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge. “What I’m looking forward to is we have to play every team (at the top) except Manchester United at home.

“We’ve had a real tough run, all the games – Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Newcastle, Everton – all of them away from home.

“Anfield’s a tough place to come, we have to play all of them at home, it’s still very much open. We were top at Christmas, a few days later we’re fifth, that’s how it will go between now and the end of the season.”

Liverpool have 36 points from 19 league fixtures, which represents their best halfway tally since the 2008-09 campaign.