Karius: Chelsea, City, Arsenal are Liverpool's title rivals

Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius believes Chelsea, Manchester City, and Arsenal are the only other teams that will contest the Premier League title alongside his club.

Karius, 23, joined the Reds from Bundesliga side Mainz in June, and quickly surpassed Simon Mignolet as first-choice goalkeeper under countryman Jurgen Klopp.

When asked to name the league contenders by German football magazine Kicker, Karius said, as translated by ESPN FC's Stephen Uersfeld: "Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal, and us. That quartet is standing eye to eye."

The Upper Swabia native is still relatively fresh to first-team football, having appeared just 96 times for Mainz between 2012 and 2016,

He said that not every game is as important as the next in the fight for the title.

"Many thought City with Pep Guardiola would be the favourites, but Chelsea went on a brutal run recently," Karius explained. "The direct duels could be decisive."

Related: Hazard picks City, Liverpool as Chelsea's chief title rivals

Although Karius emphasized the importance of games against other sides in the top four, the Reds have only lost one game in the Premier League this season: a 2-0 away defeat to Burnley, which sits 13th in the table.

Though his side experienced a minor setback on that windy afternoon, Karius, who didn't play in the game, remains focused on Liverpool's ultimate target.

"It's a dream that is still far away, but we've not made that our goal because if you (do that and then) finish second you'd think the season was a disappointment," Karius said. "Our goal is to play in the Champions League next term."

Midfield spark Philippe Coutinho was recently sidelined for at least five weeks with an ankle injury, but Karius believes his manager has enough expertise to fill the void left by the young Brazilian.

"He successfully coached a big team at Dortmund for many years, has a clear philosophy, and knows it works," Karius said. "Our young team feels that. We believe everything he says - that's incredibly important, independent of tactics."