Iraola says it is too early to judge Liverpool’s title hopes

Andoni Iraola said it is too early to judge whether Liverpool are Premier League title challengers, even if they beat Arsenal in their upcoming league match. He said the standings would become a more meaningful guide after teams have played each other once, around the season’s midpoint. Liverpool were due to host Arsenal on Sunday, November 1. Jamie Carragher has argued that Liverpool could become Arsenal’s closest challengers, and that a win over the league leaders would strengthen the case. The fixture had not been played in the reports published before it. Iraola said in October that the season was still at an early stage and urged taking one game at a time. He also said Liverpool needed to improve and keep getting better. His comments did not rule out a future challenge; they cautioned against drawing conclusions from the early standings. Liverpool entered the Arsenal fixture after four consecutive wins, according to the reports. They also advanced past Chelsea in the Carabao Cup fourth round, winning on penalties. The cup result extended their run across competitions, but it does not establish their prospects in the Premier League title race. Carragher’s assessment was...