Liverpool defender Joel Matip has said that he and his teammates must work harder in order to retain a place in the top four of the Premier League table.

The Merseyside giants have defeated both Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal in recent weeks, but they remain the only victories in their last eight outings in all competitions.

However, Matip claims that their recent inconsistent form can lead to the team becoming stronger during the closing weeks of the season.

The 25-year-old told Liverpool FC magazine: "You learn a lot in negative moments and I believe that this can make us stronger as a team and as individuals.

"We have to try to get back to what we did before. What gave us the strength, we have to find it again. We have to run more than the opponent, work harder than the opponent and do more than the opponent.

"We are all optimistic that if we can do that we can stay back on the winning track."

Liverpool currently sit in fourth place in the standings, but Arsenal are just two points behind with a game in hand.