Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez refused to concede the Premier League title after his side were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Manchester City.
But Benitez cut a despondent figure after a game that left the Reds seven points behind leaders Manchester United, who they play on 14 March.
"It's not easy but the main thing for me is to win our games and at Old Trafford we have to win," he said.
"When you are playing catch up you have to win so we are disappointed."
Liverpool went behind to a goal from their former striker Craig Bellamy before Dirk Kuyt rescued a point with a late strike.
The Reds belatedly pressed for a winner but it failed to arrive and they have a big gap to make up with just 12 league games to go."I have confidence that we can still win it, but we must win our next two league games against Middlesbrough and Sunderland and then win against Manchester United at Old Trafford," said Benitez.
"Then we may have a different situation. But I just accept that this has been a bad result and it clearly makes it more difficult for us to win the title.
"We have to win our games and see where that takes us. And clearly Manchester United are playing well and winning games."
City manager Mark Hughes did not hold out much hope for Liverpool overhauling his former club Manchester United's title lead.
"It is not over, there are still a lot of games left," he said.
"But it depends on Manchester United slipping up and they don't do that very often.
"It is very much in their hands and they will have to lose three games now."
City played in the Uefa Cup on Thursday and Hughes praised the way his players performed in their second game four days.
"That was an excellent performance and we were good value for the point and probably deserved more," added Hughes.
"We were playing a side going for the title, and after we had been involved in a tiring Uefa Cup game in Denmark on Thursday.
"But we put in an excellent performance, we were strong and resilient and we deserved the result."
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