Liverpool v Arsenal: Andoni Iraola urges caution before Anfield title test

Andoni Iraola has urged Liverpool supporters to temper their Premier League title expectations before Sunday’s meeting with reigning champions Arsenal at Anfield.

Liverpool could move to within three points of Arsenal with victory, while Mikel Arteta’s side are level with Manchester City at the top of the table. The Reds have won five successive matches in all competitions, although only two of those victories have come in the league.

“It is still October,” Liverpool manager Iraola said. “We have to take one game at a time and I always say the reference is more or less when we’ve played against each other once, so halfway through the season. That’s when you can start to look at the standings.

“Right now, we are in a position where we need to improve and keep getting better.”

Iraola, in his first season at Liverpool since replacing the dismissed Arne Slot, said he was pleased that supporters were beginning to believe in a title challenge.

“For fans, it is good if they have expectations or they think we can win,” the Spaniard said.

Arsenal went level with Manchester City after beating Everton 2-0 last weekend, but suffered a shock League Cup exit on Tuesday. They were beaten 5-3 on penalties by fourth-tier Fleetwood after the fourth-round tie finished 1-1.

“We know Arsenal and how good they are,” said Iraola. “They have very good players, working a lot in synchronicity, and we have to be ready for that challenge.

“It’s going to be a demanding game, but we also trust our players, trust ourselves and in the good atmosphere we will for sure have on Sunday. I hope we will be at a level to win this game.”

On Liverpool’s winning run, Iraola added: “It is five wins in a row but just two are in the league, so if we are talking about the league we still need more wins to recover points.

“We definitely know what we want in terms of having to improve a lot of things. But if you can do this process while you are getting results, it is always nice.”

Arteta, meanwhile, has defended his response to Max Dowman’s dismissal against Fleetwood after some pundits questioned whether he had shown sufficient sympathy towards the 16-year-old.

Dowman was sent off five minutes before the end of normal time for directing a kick towards Harrison Neal. Arsenal lost an appeal against the red card and the midfielder has begun an immediate three-match suspension for violent conduct.

“I understand. But you need to understand the context, the relationship that I have with him and what we discussed just before we went out for the match,” Arteta said before Arsenal’s trip to Liverpool.

“You want to see the reaction of his teammates? When they have to play with 10, you want to see that? What do you expect?

“I don’t know… This is the environment and this is the reality. Otherwise, we are in Disneyland. We are not in Disneyland, we are in the Premier League.”

Arteta said Arsenal had carefully supported Dowman since he made his debut at 15, but stressed that he must still meet the same standards as his team-mates.

“It is not the first time. It happened another time this month with England Under-19s,” he said. “And it will continue to happen because of the way he plays and the way he attracts opponents.”

Arteta said he had “no issues” with Dowman but was “very disappointed” that the appeal had failed, particularly given the tackles the teenager had received before his “minimal” reaction.