James Milner has said he will feel sick should Liverpool fail to qualify for the Champions League and he denied Fraser Forster’s antics influenced his penalty miss against Southampton.

Liverpool remain in control of their European destiny after a goalless draw against Claude Puel’s side on Sunday was followed by Manchester United’s defeat at Arsenal later in the day. Jürgen Klopp’s team have spent only two weeks outside the top four since September and will secure a return to the European elite with maximum points from their remaining matches against West Ham United and Middlesbrough.

A third consecutive home game without a win, however, has reduced the margin of error and their vice-captain admits it would be devastating to have only Europa League football to show for this season’s efforts.

Asked how he would feel with a fifth-placed finish, Milner replied: “Sick. This is a team and a club that needs to be in the Champions League. We will be in Europe but the Champions League is where everyone wants to play. For the chances that we haven’t taken – this was another big moment in terms of missing the penalty. There was a lot riding on it and I have to take the responsibility but hopefully we will get a bit of luck and finish the job.

“We have made improvements this year and we know where we need to improve again. We have shown on any one day we can beat anyone so, if we could get in the Champions League, we know we could be a match for anyone. We have got to do it consistently. I don’t think we have been as up and down as last year. In the games we haven’t got the points we wanted we have dominated the game. We’ve dropped points where we shouldn’t have done.”

Liverpool have taken two points from their past three matches at Anfield against Southampton, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth and Milner believes the team would be challenging for the title but for their persistent problems against the so-called lesser lights of the Premier League. He explained: “You look at the results all season. We have dropped points where you might not expect us to and there have been some disappointing games. “We do that job better and we are fighting for the title, never mind fighting to get into the top four. That is disappointing and we know it is an area we need to improve.

“ Against the top teams our record is very, very good but against the teams that come to sit back and play on the break and look to get something from a set piece, we need to improve. Of course we work on that. Every team defends differently and we will have different game plans for different opposition, different attacking patterns for how we want to break them down. There are not many things wrong. We can certainly improve on it and, if we do that, we will be in the reckoning.

Milner took responsibility for Sunday’s goalless draw having been denied from the penalty spot in the second half by Southampton’s goalkeeper, Forster. It was the first time in eight years that the 31-year-old had not converted from the spot, his first miss in 11 penalties for Liverpool and came after the England international and several visiting players had delayed the kick.

“He [Forster] was trying to scuff up the spot so I just stood in front of it,” said the converted left-back. “Listen, it’s all part of it. It never affected me, it didn’t get in my head or anything like that. I knew what I wanted to do. I just didn’t get it in the corner that I fancied.

“I don’t know if he went early or not but he is a big lad and he has seen me take a lot of penalties when we have been taking them with England at the Euros. They are a bit tougher when they know you. Ultimately the penalty wasn’t good enough. He made a good save. He is a big lad and a good keeper. He’s even seen me take them back to the days when we were at Newcastle. It’s no excuse. I should have scored and I have to take the responsibility. I said sorry in the dressing room afterwards; there is not a lot more I can say. It was very costly and I have to hold my hands up. Hopefully results can bail me out.”

Milner insisted he would remain on penalty duties and believes Liverpool must beat West Ham and Middlesbrough to keep their Champions League rivals at bay. He denied, however, that nerves had affected Klopp’s team during the run-in and contributed to recent poor results at Anfield.

“I don’t notice it and I don’t think [nerves] are in the dressing room, either,” he said. “We are a young squad, yes, but I feel we are still trying to play the right way. I don’t see us lumping the ball forward and panicking in the last 15 minutes of games. I don’t think we overcommitted against Southampton. We stuck to the task well, we committed a good amount of numbers forward without stretching ourselves and leaving the boys one on one at the back. I think it was a mature performance and, if nerves were affecting us, you would have seen us lumping balls forward. I don’t think that has happened.”