Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola said on Friday he was glad some fans are dreaming of a Premier League title challenge, AFP reported. He also urged caution before Sunday's home match against champions Arsenal. "It is still October," the Spaniard said. He added that the standings only start to matter around the halfway point of the season.
Arsenal are level at the top of the table with leaders Manchester City, according to AFP. A Liverpool win at Anfield would cut the gap to Arsenal to three points. Liverpool have won five games in a row in all competitions. Iraola is in his first season on Merseyside. He joined from Bournemouth to replace the sacked Arne Slot.
Iraola pointed out that only two of the five wins came in the league. Liverpool still need more league wins to recover points, he said. His side must keep improving, but it is "always nice" to do so while getting results. He described Arsenal as a very good side whose players work "in synchronicity" and called Sunday's game demanding.
Arsenal arrive on the back of mixed results. They drew level with City after a 2-0 win over Everton last weekend. On Tuesday they lost on penalties to fourth-tier Fleetwood and went out of the League Cup, AFP reported.
Liverpool went the other way in the same competition. They reached the Carabao Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday after beating Chelsea in a tense penalty shootout, the BBC reported.
Captain Virgil van Dijk told the BBC that Iraola has brought "intensity" and "a bit of chaos" to the team. He said the side is still a "work in progress" as players learn the manager's high-risk, high-reward pressing game. At times the team had been too exposed, he said, and it is working to take risks without being as vulnerable.
Van Dijk said it was hard to compare Iraola with former manager Jurgen Klopp, known for his "heavy metal" football. The game has changed, he said, but the amount of sprinting and the drive to win the ball back quickly remain the same.