Kop legend Alan Hansen believes that Liverpool still have a chance to salvage their season thanks to the play of Pepe Reina.

Rafael Benitez's men take on Manchester City on Saturday knowing that another defeat would deal a serious blow to their top-four aspirations.

However, Hansen, who won 23 winners' medals in 14 years with Liverpool, has stated that things would have been worse if not for the heroics of Reina.

The Kop favourite said: "Pepe has been invaluable again this season and should now be seen as one of Liverpool's greatest keepers.

"He's up there with Ray Clemence and it's probably just as well because, if we didn't have him, we could have been in serious trouble.

"Liverpool's back four have struggled but if your back four is struggling with a dodgy keeper behind them, then it's the end of the story.

"Pepe has been a tower of strength. Keepers like him are worth their weight in gold.

"He has always been a good keeper but if he had a weakness when he first came to Liverpool, it was when the ball was in the air, coming across him quickly.

"Initially, he had one or two problems with those type of crosses but his judgment is now a lot better.

"In terms of every other quality you need as a keeper, Reina is at the ]top of the tree. He is reliable and makes great saves."

Liverpool have already lost five Premier League games in the current campaign, compared to just two in the whole of last season. The Reds have tasted victory in just one of nine in all competitions and are 11 points below Chelsea in the Premier League table.

One more loss on Saturday would leave Liverpool four points behind City, with the Reds having played one game more, and send the Merseyside giants in a downward spiral.

Hansen told the LFC Magazine: "The City game is massive.

"If you take our league position into account and the fact qualification for the Champions League knockout stages is out of our hands, it becomes imperative Liverpool win.

"We want to qualify for the Champions League next season and a win would keep spirits up after such a bad run.

"The sooner we get out of that, the better for Rafa, the players and fans. What Liverpool must do is ensure it isn't them who slip out of the top four if City do come good.

"The players showed against Manchester United they are good enough and must play the same way against City.

"The players will want to show their season is not dead and buried by putting a bit of light back into the title challenge.

"The players need to achieve a level of consistency to do that and if they want an example to follow, they need look no further than Reina."