Liverpool vs Arsenal preview: Anfield test to measure title credentials

This Liverpool vs Arsenal preview centres on a high-value Premier League test at Anfield on Sunday, with Liverpool trying to show they are more than a team on a good run. The result is being viewed as a marker of whether Andoni Iraola’s side can be taken seriously as title contenders.

Liverpool are fourth in the Premier League and have won their last five games, but the debate around them has not disappeared. Their form has built momentum, yet doubts remain over whether they create enough chances and whether they can break down stubborn opponents when matches become tight.

Why Arsenal at Anfield matters

Arsenal’s visit to Anfield comes at a point when Liverpool’s results have improved sharply after a slow start. The match is being treated as an indication of how much progress has been made under Andoni Iraola, particularly against an opponent expected to test both their control and resilience.

Paul Merson believes Liverpool have to beat Arsenal at Anfield on Sunday to be considered contenders for the Premier League title. That view captures the broader pressure around the fixture: positive results have changed the mood, but a statement win against Arsenal would carry different weight.

For Liverpool, this is not only about extending a winning sequence. It is about answering whether recent improvement can stand up in a match that has direct relevance to the top end of the Premier League table.

Recent wins have brought momentum — and caveats

Liverpool’s current run includes a win over Brentford in a match in which Brentford had a man sent off. They also beat Villarreal, though they conceded three goals in that game.

Those results fed the sense that Liverpool were winning without fully convincing. The idea of “asterisks” around their victories has followed them through this phase, with each result adding points and confidence but not always removing concern.

That changed to an extent against Brighton. Liverpool beat the Premier League’s top scorers 2-0, keeping a clean sheet against a side that had scored 23 goals in their first seven games. It was also Liverpool’s first home league win since April.

That result gave the run a stronger foundation. A clean sheet against a high-scoring Brighton side offered evidence of defensive progress, while the win at Anfield helped address an uncomfortable home league record.

Questions still remain over Liverpool’s attack

Despite the five-game winning run, there is still a sense that nobody quite trusts what they are watching from Liverpool. Their rise has been impressive, but the team remains a work in progress.

The central football question is whether they are scoring enough and whether they can create enough chances when opponents sit deep or force them into patient build-up play. Those concerns are especially relevant against Arsenal, a match in which control of key moments may matter as much as overall momentum.

Liverpool have shown they can find ways through difficult games, and their recent results have pushed them into fourth place. But the Arsenal fixture is a sharper examination of whether those wins reflect genuine title-race substance or simply a good spell of form.

Cup progress adds to Anfield momentum

Liverpool also knocked Chelsea out of the Carabao Cup at Anfield on penalties, adding another positive result to a run that has shifted the atmosphere around the club.

That cup result does not answer the league questions on its own, but it contributes to the feeling that Liverpool have rediscovered ways to get through high-pressure moments. Combined with the Brighton clean sheet and a five-match winning run, it gives them a stronger platform before Arsenal arrive.

Sunday’s match now offers a clearer measure. If Liverpool beat Arsenal at Anfield, the argument that they belong in the Premier League title conversation will become harder to dismiss. If they fall short, the doubts around chance creation, scoring and overall trust may quickly return.