Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola urges caution ahead of his side's high-stakes Premier League showdown against Mikel Arteta's Arsenal at Anfield. | AFP

Image: AFP

A heavyweight title showdown looms at Anfield as Liverpool take on reigning English Premier League champions Arsenal in a clash carrying massive ramifications at the top of the table. 

Reds' manager Andoni Iraola is pleased his side's performances have left some Liverpool fans dreaming of a championship challenge ahead of Sunday's match at home, even if it is too soon for him to pay much attention to the table.

Victory would see Liverpool move to within three points of the Gunners, who are currently level at the top of the table with leaders Manchester City. Liverpool are on a five-game winning run in all competitions, a sure sign of their progress as they adapt to the methods of former Bournemouth manager Iraola in his first season on Merseyside since replacing the sacked Arne Slot.

However, Iraola said on Friday: "It is still October.

"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."

Asked if he welcomed the increasingly buoyant mood among Liverpool fans, the Spaniard replied: "For fans, it is good if they have expectations or they think we can win."

Arsenal moved level with City at the top of the table following a 2-0 win over Everton last weekend, but then suffered a huge upset defeat on Tuesday after being knocked out of the League Cup on penalties by fourth-tier Fleetwood.

"We know Arsenal and how good they are," Iraola said. "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."

As for Liverpool's recent run, a cautious Iraola said: "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."

Meanwhile, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta warned Max Dowman he was "not in Disneyland" after the teenage rising star was sent off in the Gunners' shock League Cup defeat by lowly Fleetwood.

The Premier League champions suffered one of the most embarrassing losses in their history when, after the fourth-round tie ended 1-1 in normal time, they lost 5-3 on penalties away to fourth-tier Fleetwood on Tuesday.

To make matters worse for the Gunners, Dowman saw red five minutes before the end of normal time. Although it looked a harsh decision to send off Dowman for aiming a kick towards Harrison Neal, Arteta was unimpressed with the 16-year-old, giving him a stern word as the midfielder trudged off.

Arteta's reaction on the touchline was criticised by some pundits, who felt he should have been more sympathetic towards Dowman, who is now starting an immediate three-match ban for violent conduct after Arsenal lost an appeal against his red card and punishment.

However, an unrepentant Arteta defended his response to Dowman's red card in a pre-match press conference on Friday ahead of Arsenal's trip to Liverpool.

"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).

"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."

Dowman has been carefully nurtured by Arsenal since making his debut when he was just 15.

"We look after him so much, but at the same time we're going to be demanding because he needs to earn the right to play, just like everybody else," said Arteta, whose side are level on points with Premier League leaders Manchester City.

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

"We have to be able to tell each other what we think because he is 16 and we have to be very protective of him, but at the same time very straight with him about what we expect of him towards the team, individuals and the club."

Arteta, himself a former Arsenal midfielder, insisted he had "no issues" with Dowman as the Spanish boss lamented the failure of the Gunners' appeal.

"I’m very disappointed to be fair, especially with the reckless tackles that he received, and then his reaction is minimal in relation to the action," he said.  |  AFP