Liverpool finished second last term after amassing a club record 86 points in the Premier League, but the Anfield faithful will want to go one better this time around.

The Reds are desperate to end their 20-year wait for the championship crown and Benitez believes his squad is strong enough to beat any of their rivals, but concedes there is still room for improvement.

"You have to do everything almost perfectly because in the Premier League you cannot lose many games," Benitez told the Liverpool Echo.

"You need a good atmosphere, and we have a good squad now.

"The understanding is really good now between the players. The main thing for me is to be contenders.

"We have to be there in the top four and close, then see what happens.

"Chelsea, United and Arsenal are very strong, and this year you'll have Tottenham, Aston Villa and City. It's clearly the most difficult league.

"We are strong enough to beat anyone and we need to be consistent.

"We got 86 points - a record for the club in the Premier League - but we still need to improve. But we have a lot of confidence."