Manchester City’s Joleon Lescott (R) challenges Liverpool’s Charlie Adam

Dirk Kuyt claims Liverpool's performances against the Premier League's top sides have given the Reds the belief they can regain Champions League football.

Dirk Kuyt: Played 11 Premier League games

Kenny Dalglish's side drew 1-1 with Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday and were unlucky not to be the ones to end the league leader's unbeaten start to the season. Only the brilliance of England goalkeeper Joe Hart kept the visitors in the game in the second half.

Liverpool have not lost in the league to either City, Manchester United, Chelsea or Arsenal since September 2010 and this season have two wins and two draws from their matches with those teams.

Having beaten Chelsea at Stamford Bridge the previous weekend Kuyt thinks that gives an indication of the direction the team is heading.

"In my opinion City have so far been the best team in the Premier League so we can take lots of positives from our performance,'' said Kuyt.

"I think if you had said we would take four points from Chelsea away and City at home you would probably have signed up for it - but I think we could have walked away with all six points.

"That's football and we can't blame ourselves. We worked really hard, did everything we could, and we just have to keep going from here.

"The way we have played against the top sides has been fantastic - we beat Arsenal and Chelsea away and I think we deserved more against United and City. We will keep going in this way.

"We have also played well against the other teams and I think the future is bright.

"We are on the way forward. That's what we want and we need to keep going and hopefully we can do enough to qualify for the Champions League at the end of the season.''

Liverpool are now unbeaten in ten matches in all competitions but that will be tested when they return to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday for a Carling Cup quarter-final.

(They do have a defense apparently.)