Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp believes should not be too concerned by the gap between themselves and Premier League leaders Manchester City.
The Reds sit 12 points behind Pep Guardiola's run-away leaders after City's 3-0 win over Burnley on Saturday, which extended their imperious unbeaten start to the campaign.
Facing Tottenham Hotspur - themselves looking to narrow an eight-point gap to the front-runners - Klopp insists his Liverpool team still have plenty to play for and have made strides from last term.
"If you ask, 'Is the race already done?' City are so strong, flying along at the top of the table," he admitted. "Maybe this race is decided already. I haven't got a clue."
However, the Reds boss declared that "there is still a lot to get in this league and to play for" and "especially" for Liverpool.
He insisted that the team "have improved as well since last year" and that while that does not show "too much in the results", they have improved "in creating moments and chances."
"A lot of better things than last year, but so far we have not taken the results," believes Klopp, who added that if they can "stay convinced" about their way of playing and "bring in consistency" from what they have "had performance-wise so far" they can have their "best season" under his management.
"That is the next step. We can build on this base," he said, insisting that Liverpool are still capable of a successful season despite a difficult stat.
"Spurs will be title contenders but we mustn't fear them"
Liverpool travel to Tottenham - albeit at Wembley Stadium rather than White Hart Lane - little over two years to the day that Klopp first managed the club away at Pochettino's Spurs.
Yet despite questions of the progression Liverpool have made under him, the German insists that his side must use the pressure of needing to claw back the gap to their rivals - sitting four points behind Spurs - to drive them on.
He insisted that he does not "feel the pressure" but that he is aware of "the situation and how things can happen" whether his side "win, lose or draw."
"But the pressure doesn't help at this moment, so we don't have more pressure," declared Klopp when asked about catching up to their top-four rivals.
Instead, he is more focus on "going to Tottenham and getting a result", adding: "We always play good football there, especially in the last game [away from home] when Tottenham were lucky. In that game we were the better side. That was pretty rare in their old stadium. It didn't happen a lot to Tottenham in the last few years."
Although the North London outfit have moved to Wembley, where they have won just one of their four Premier League home games - albeit their most recent one - Klopp insists the game won't be any different.
He has never lost in five meetings with Spurs, winning two and drawing three, and said that Sunday's hosts have had only "a few changes in their team."
Klopp noted that Kyle Walker has left for City and that Danny Rose is injured, while the rest is "pretty much" the same side, hailing them a "skilled squad" under "a fantastic manager" with "a very good relationship with all the parts of the club."
"They are title contenders," he implored. "They were last year. They were two years ago. Why shouldn't they be this year?"
Klopp - Reds must look to build on recent performances
Although Liverpool have won just one of their last five Premier League games, while City have claimed maximum points, Klopp hopes that his side can soon discover a rich vein of form themselves to climb up the table.
He noted that while it is "quite difficult to understand" it was the 5-0 thrashing away at City last month that gave his side "confidence" because they "tried to deal and cope with the situation."
"I thought we did really well but, of course, we didn't get the results," he said of their last few games. "It is a decisive moment so far but not for the rest of the season."
Klopp acknowledged that Guardiola's City "play twice against Manchester United, twice against Tottenham, once more against Chelsea" and that there are "still a lot of games to play in this league."
"Nobody will go through this like a warm knife through butter," he said, insisting that he wants Liverpool to think about "building on the performances" they have already produced this season.
He called the mid-week demolition of Maribor in the Champions League a "very important game" and explained: "I know afterwards it looks like it's only Maribor but if you saw their two other games they will be much better. You will see it when they come here."
Klopp added: "So, yes, we will take it like it is and use the pressure. We have to be spot on again."