Liverpool has a major advantage over Arsenal and Andoni Iraola can prove Mikel Arteta wrong this weekend — if he does, then the Premier League chatter will only get even louder

Andoni Iraola was never going to answer the question any differently. When it was put to the Liverpool head coach earlier this week that his side might be in title contention, he batted it away well.

"The fans, it’s good if they have expectations, or if they think we can win," he said. For the Spaniard and his players, the 'one game at a time' cliche still applies.

"If you ask me, I think it’s still very early in the season," Iraola insisted. But should Liverpool beat Arsenal this weekend, then the chatter around the Reds is far from going to quieten down. While there are reasons to temper expectations, there is also plenty to be optimistic about too.

Liverpool clearly still has a roster of players that lacks depth in places — that hasn't changed substantially since the summer — but there is a lot more potential still to be unlocked as well. Bradley Barcola, to give just one example, is only just getting started.

And that is the obvious difference between Liverpool and Arsenal: alongside Barcola, there are Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and others.

Meanwhile at the Emirates, there remain doubts about several of the forward options, none of whom have the star quality of the expensively assembled contingent at Anfield.

"There are several reasons why there are those who believe Iraola’s Liverpool might push Arsenal closer than anticipated," Jamie Carragher wrote for the Daily Telegraph this week.

"First and foremost, the guilty verdict in the Manchester City case has altered the complexion of the season, and emboldened those who want to seize the initiative.

"But when Iraola replaced Arne Slot last summer, it was difficult to envisage how Liverpool could get past both Arsenal and Manchester City within a year.

"Now we expect Manchester City to be punished soon. Given the nature and severity of their misdemeanors, it is inconceivable they will be a title contender if that happens. The door is open for those in the chasing pack with the capacity and will to walk through it."

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Defensively, though Liverpool is improving, Arsenal remains the team to match. But though Iraola's side may never be well-drilled enough to be as tight as the Gunners, the Reds have a different weapon — an attack with a vastly superior ceiling.

While Arteta claims to be "fully convinced" that his team is about to win at Anfield for the first time in 14 years, there is a real chance for Liverpool to blow things wide open if it can prove him wrong.

After spending so much on attackers, it should not be a surprise that Liverpool has more difference-makers in the final third than Arsenal.

But if it can deliver the first proper breakout performance of the Iraola era this Sunday, the new Reds boss might not be able to play down the title talk for much longer.