Joel Matip has urged Liverpool not to become carried away by their recent Premier League revival as they attempt to show their "real face" in the hunt for a top-four place.
The Reds' record-breaking 7-0 win over Manchester United on Sunday was their fourth victory in five top-flight games and moved them into fifth place for the first time since September.
Jurgen Klopp's side can move into the Champions League places - albeit temporarily - with victory at rock-bottom Bournemouth in Saturday's lunchtime kick-off.
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Liverpool are then not in Premier League action until April 1 at champions Manchester City, the first of 12 top-flight games in 58 days that will determine their top-four ambitions.
Matip, though, believes the Reds must continue banishing thoughts of a successful end to what he admits has been a "tough" season.
"We just need to focus on our next game," said the centre-back. "It doesn't help to think about what may be possible. We have the quality to go there (into the top four) but to think about what will happen in two or three games' time will not help us right now.
"At this stage of the season, we just need to focus as a group on the next training day and the next game and then see what will come.
"Of course everybody wants to play Champions League but we have had a tough season so far. We are working hard to get as high in the table as possible but we cannot get ahead of ourselves.
"I don't look to May or to the end of the season at this point - that's never helped me even if there is an aim. It may be in the back of your head but it doesn't help. We are working hard to get back to where we were and trying to show the real Liverpool face."
Liverpool have kept clean sheets in six of their last seven Premier League games having managed just four in their first 18 such outings.
And Matip, speaking to the official Liverpool FC matchday programme, said: "We are trying to get back to our level but small steps are necessary for this. Everybody's motivated and we are just trying to fix the small things and do them better.
"I don't think there's an a easy answer to the question of why we have been inconsistent this season. If we knew the answer, a lot of people already would have given it to us. We've had to go back to basics a bit."
Matip added: "The training sessions have never been a problem but in spells like we have had, we go into details, speak and try to help each other even more than before. People have spoken about trying to build momentum, but if things go your way you never think about those kinds of things.
"Then when they are not working out, everybody is thinking about those kinds of things. But of course we are trying to get our self-confidence back to a top level and trying to play our football. If you always give 100% then at one point, you will get a payback and hopefully we will be on our way back."
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