Jamie Carragher believes Manchester City can end Liverpool's Premier League title hopes with victory at Anfield this weekend.
Pep Guardiola's side travel to Merseyside to take on the Reds on Sunday (4.30pm) in a battle between the top two teams in the country last season.
This time around, reigning champions Liverpool are fourth in the table, seven points behind leaders City, who have a game in hand.
While City are unbeaten in 20 matches in all competitions and on a run of 13 consecutive wins, Jurgen Klopp's men have struggled of late.
Liverpool's club record 68-game unbeaten home league run was recently ended by Burnley, and they have now lost two on the trot at Anfield, going down 1-0 to Brighton on Wednesday.
Carragher believes his former club must beat City this weekend to keep alive any chance of retaining their crown - but thinks even that may not be enough.
"I think Liverpool have to be looking at the top four positions," Carragher told Sky Sports' Pitch to Post podcast.
"I think I'm saying the obvious here but take each game as it comes. At this moment, the form is so up and down, there are so many changes, you're never quite sure what the team is going to be.
"Alisson was out (vs Brighton), that was a last-minute thing. They're still waiting for players to come back. I think if you offered Liverpool top four now they would take that and shake on it. That should be the mindset for Liverpool at the moment, it's what they're aiming for.
"If they could get back into the title race, to do that they have to beat City on Sunday, I truly believe that.
"Then maybe with seven or eight games to go, they can see where they are and hopefully from Liverpool's point of view, City will have some sort of drop because the run they're on at the moment is out of this world.
"It is impossible to keep that going. You can't win every single game, although both teams virtually did that a couple of years ago, but I'd expect some points dropped by City at some stage.
"I think the problem for Liverpool at the moment is that gap is too big, certainly if they don't beat them on Sunday."
Carragher added: "I don't think many Liverpool supporters think they can win the league, even if they do win on Sunday.
"I'm just saying if there is any sort of hope, they have to win on Sunday. I think anything less that three points completely finishes it off. I think it's hanging by a thread at the moment.
"It's not just the point difference to City, it's the situation Liverpool find themselves and the teams they are having to put on the pitch at this moment.
"They're not strong enough to win a title, the teams that are going out at this moment, really.
"The same players are playing week in, week out because of those injury problems, so they're not in the best of form and at times some of them, I think, are looking shattered and really could do with a break themselves - but because of injuries, they can't really afford to give them that break that they maybe deserve or need.
"I think most Liverpool supporters have now resigned themselves to the fact that they won't be retaining the title - but ones who think there is always a chance will never give up anything, but will feel they have to win on Sunday."
Carragher does think Liverpool are capable of beating City in a one-off battle, in spite of their recent troubles.
"There's no secrets to how Liverpool will play," he said. "They've caused City huge problems before. I think Pep Guardiola has said this Liverpool team is the toughest he has played against in his managerial career.
"It's not the Liverpool team we've seen in the past couple of years - we've seen that this season - but I think it will be completely different to what we saw against Brighton.
"I think Liverpool will give City a really good game. I really do believe that.
"I think City will look to win - I don't think they'll just sit back and not put players forward - and that should make for a really interesting game.
"It's still a game Liverpool can win, even on the back of the poor performances and results they've had at home, and their struggles of late. I think Pep Guardiola will know that.
