The key here for Liverpool is not that they are necessarily struggling, after all, they struggled a few seasons ago and still squeaked out a top-4 finish. The key here is that the Premier League is the deepest it has ever been thanks to the resurgence of a team like Arsenal and the surprise of a team like Newcastle. At the moment Liverpool find themselves in sixth, 5 points behind Tottenham, but only three points ahead of Chelsea in 10th. If they finish in 8th, they are guaranteed to miss out on Europe if they don't win the FA Cup.
I think Chelsea will ultimately finish ahead on points thanks to their aggressiveness in the transfer window and as the squad begins to understand the complex but effective playing style of Graham Potter. That would leave Liverpool battling for that 8th spot with Fulham, Brighton and Brentford, and as we approach the halfway point of the season, Liverpool have only collected two out of a possibility of 9 points against those teams.
I am here to tell you Liverpool miss out on European football this season.