Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson says their standards have slipped this season.

In his match programme notes for today's clash with Chelsea, Henderson stated: "One of the toughest things about playing for a club like Liverpool is the standards are so high. Draws can feel like defeats and actual defeats can feel like the end of the world. As I said, it is tough, but none of us would change it for the world. It's what makes this club what it is.

"This season in general and the last few weeks in particular have not been easy for us. We have not been at our best, we have not been anywhere near as consistent as we need to be, and the standards that we have set for ourselves have not been met. To say it has not been good enough would be an understatement.

"Again, though, being at Liverpool means this does not just need to improve – it has to improve. We can't just accept it and settle for falling short either in games or over the course of a season. This club stands for much more than that and anyone who is fortunate enough to play here knows that nothing but the best will ever be good enough.

"I wouldn't say this is an easy responsibility to carry. It is a great one in more senses than one and you know the level of scrutiny will always be higher and the criticism fiercer than it might be at other clubs, but we also get to use this knowledge as an extra motivation, especially when we have so much awareness of what it feels like to be a Liverpool player when we do meet those exacting standards."