Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier says it will be much too early to rule his side out of the title race if they lose to league leaders Arsenal tomorrow.
Defeat at Anfield would leave Liverpool nine points behind Arsene Wenger's team but Houllier denied that, after last Sunday's 3-2 defeat by Charlton, he had said the Arsenal game was make or break.
"I said it was an important game for both teams, maybe more important for us than them because of the points difference. But as far as I know no trophies have been won in the first week in October," Houllier told a news conference.
"The challenge is to get back into the top four very quickly and then from there to progress. We're not particular about one game or another. We just want to get our way and get back into the top four."
Liverpool won the last of their record 18 English league titles in 1990. They lie eighth in the table on 11 points, three points behind fourth-placed Birmingham City. Arsenal are top on 17 points, followed by Chelsea and champions Manchester United on 16.
Liverpool are without several players through injury with midfielder Danny Murphy added to the list after damaging ankle ligaments in a reserve game against Everton. He joined Milan Baros, Jamie Carragher, Dietmar Hamann, Stephane Henchoz, Bruno Cheyrou and goalkeeper Chris Kirkland on the sidelines.
Arsenal's resilience and temperament will again be under the spotlight following their recent disciplinary problems and the match also offers the chance to compare in-form strikers Thierry Henry and Michael Owen.
Liverpool's Owen has scored seven league goals so far this season, one more than his French rival Henry for Arsenal.
"Owen is more of an out-and-out goalscorer. He is able to wait for his chance to come along and is patient like a killer," Wenger told said. "I think you can only be born with that natural instinct. Owen was scoring goals when he was 13 years old and when you do that you know that you will score goals all your life. It is something you have inside you.
"Henry is different because he likes to get involved and touch the ball a lot more. He is not so concerned by scoring, but he likes to go wide and give crosses to other players.
"He scored 24 goals last season, but he also provided about 20 assists and that is because he was never really educated as a striker, he was more brought up as a winger."
Arsenal will be without captain Patrick Vieira (thigh), Fredrik Ljungberg (ankle) and Dennis Bergkamp (calf) through injury, but defender Sol Campbell returns to the squad after missing three games following his father's death.