Trent Alexander-Arnold believes it's "necessary" for Liverpool to finish higher than fifth in the Premier League this coming season.
The Reds struggled in all major competitions last season. They failed to go far in the Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup, while their fifth-placed finish in the Premier League means they will be playing Europa League football come September.
Liverpool fans would love to see Jurgen Klopp's side win silverware again, but Alexander-Arnold has hinted their Premier League form will be the priority. The right-back believes they need to be "near perfect" to challenge Manchester City for the title.
Pep Guardiola's team are the dominant force in English and European football after winning the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup last season. They are just the second team in history to achieve that after Manchester United 24 years ago.
Alexander-Arnold was asked about Liverpool's Premier League form during an interview with Sky Sports. The England international's first day of pre-season was on Tuesday after being given an extended break for representing his country in June.
Alexander-Arnold said: "I think as a club it's necessary to be honest. You know, we do respect every competition we play in but if you'd asked us this time last year, would you want to finish fifth, we'd have all said no and same again now.
"Would we want to finish fifth next season? No. We want to be winning the league, we want to be challenging and being in title races and in Champions League football so to not be in that next season is disappointing.
"We know how to win the league, we know how to challenge City and go toe-to-toe with them and you need to be near perfect throughout the season so for us that's where our heads are at."
Alexander-Arnold has urged his Liverpool team-mates to find "consistency" after dropping points against the likes of Leeds and Southampton last season. Klopp's side were also brilliant at times, such as when they hammered Man Utd 7-0.
Alexander-Arnold struggled during the first half of the 2022/23 campaign but regained his form when Klopp tweaked his role. He now moves into central midfield when Liverpool are in possession and reverts back into defence when they lose the ball.
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That helped Liverpool's form improve significantly, as they went unbeaten during their final 11 Premier League games of last season. Alexander-Arnold scored once and provided seven assists during that time to capture Gareth Southgate's attention.
The 24-year-old has often struggled to get into England's starting XI but did so in central midfield for the recent Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia, scoring a goal and bagging an assist. Many fans believe he should continue in the role.
Alexander-Arnold has admitted he "enjoys" playing in both defence and midfield, but insists it's "not my decision". He could revert back to a more defensive role next season after Liverpool signed midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.
