Liverpool midfielder, Lucas Leiva, has tipped the club to finish in a top-four place this season and secure a return to the Champions League, after an encouraging start to the new Premier League season.

The Reds are currently sitting pretty near the top of the table having lost just once this season but, with the season, still in its relatively early stages, Liverpool fans are not getting carried away just yet.

While some pundits have claimed Brendan Rodgers’ men could be set to mount a genuine title challenge this season – highlighted by some of the odds being offered by Betfair – Lucas has insisted the focus for the squad is getting back into the Champions League spots.

“I don’t see why we should get ahead of ourselves. The race for the top four will be extremely close this year and I still think we are underdogs, given how much money some of our opponents have invested,” said the Brazilian midfielder, who has recently broken back into the national side ahead of next summer’s World Cup.

“Liverpool are still a massive institution in English and European football and we need to get back into the Champions League. Those nights are unforgettable for players and supporters. It’s about time we all felt that buzz again.”

However, while talk of winning the league is probably a little premature for this Liverpool squad, there is no denying that this Premier League race is wide open. The Betfair odds indicate that, if Liverpool can maintain their impressive early season form, then we could all be in for an exciting and unexpected rest of the campaign.