- Published13 minutes ago
Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game againstArsenalat Anfield (kick-off 16:30 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai and forward Victor Munoz "have a chance" to feature in Sunday's match.
Despite Liverpool winning their past five matches and knowing victory on Sunday would take them to within three points of the Gunners, Iraola was quick to dismiss any talk of a title challenge. He said it is "too early" to judge, adding: "I always say the first reference is more or less when everyone plays each other once, so halfway through the season. Then you can start thinking and understanding."
Iraola said his impressive record against the Gunners asBournemouthboss doesn't matter much when it comes to Sunday's game: "It is a totally different team and moment. We can't use the same things we used with Bournemouth here."
On Virgil van Dijk's claim that the Anfield energy is coming back: "It's not just about winning. At Anfield, everyone feels when the team are going for it and trying their best. Even when we lost, they have been there and helped us massively. We can create a special atmosphere."
When asked about Ryan Gravenberch's "up-and-down" season, Iraola replied: "He has had better games and worse games. We trust him and we know what he can produce. Like other players, when he doesn't play well we try to help him improve. He is in good place."
On managing the workload of three matches a week: "It's true that I haven't had a lot of experience, apart from some coaching in the Europa League, but I had a lot as a player. I've already been there. It's different to management but I think our players are very used to it. A lot of the work is done and now it's about getting the decisions right in terms of the [work] loading."
Listen to full match commentary of Liverpool v Arsenal onBBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Soundson Sunday
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