There is a temptation, when results begin to improve, to allow the momentum to become the story. Five consecutive victories have given Liverpool something to build on, restored a degree of confidence and offered encouragement that Andoni Iraola’s methods are beginning to take hold.

But the Liverpool head coach is not interested in allowing that run to become a reason for complacency.

Ahead of Sunday’s meeting with Arsenal, Iraola was clear that his team have not yet reached the level he expects of them. Asked whether there was another level to come from Liverpool, his response was emphatic.

“There has to be. There always has to be another level.

“We need to improve things, yes. Lately we are getting good results but we need to improve in different areas.”

It was an important admission from a manager whose side are beginning to look more convincing. Liverpool’s recent performances have offered signs of progress, but Iraola is keen to distinguish between winning matches and becoming the team he ultimately wants to build.

There is a reason for that caution. Of Liverpool’s five consecutive victories, only two have come in the Premier League. The sequence has included progress in cup competitions, but it has not yet repaired all the damage done during a difficult start to the domestic campaign.

Iraola acknowledged as much, stressing that Liverpool still need more league victories to recover the points they have dropped. The results have been welcome, but they have not changed the scale of the task.

That distinction matters ahead of Arsenal. Mikel Arteta’s side arrive at Anfield as league leaders and reigning champions, having lost only once in the league this season. They represent a considerably different examination to simply extending a winning sequence.

Iraola was particularly complimentary about the visitors’ organisation, describing them as a team with very good players who work in synchrony and understand one another exceptionally well. Beating them will require more than the confidence that comes with recent results.

The Liverpool head coach identified the smaller contests as crucial: winning duels, competing in the air and controlling the set-piece situations that can decide matches between sides of this quality. It was a reminder that progress under Iraola will not be measured solely by attacking fluency or the number of victories accumulated.

There is also a practical challenge in maintaining that improvement. Liverpool are navigating a demanding schedule, with three matches a week placing pressure on the squad and limiting the amount of work that can be done on the training pitch.

Iraola explained that much of the preparation is now taking place through video analysis, with the coaching staff managing workloads and making changes to keep players fresh. Rotation has become a necessity rather than simply an opportunity to experiment.

Yet his message remained consistent: the standards cannot drop simply because the results have improved.

That is particularly relevant after Liverpool’s Carabao Cup victory over Chelsea. Their progression on penalties was another positive result, and the atmosphere at Anfield was one Iraola praised, but the performance also demonstrated that there are areas in which his side must become more consistent.

He believes the supporters respond to the commitment they see on the pitch, regardless of the scoreline. The challenge for Liverpool is to make that energy count more regularly, turning Anfield into the advantage he wants it to be.

There are encouraging signs. Five wins in a row is not something to dismiss, particularly during a period of transition, and Liverpool have shown an ability to find different ways of getting results.

But Iraola’s comments suggest he is not prepared to confuse momentum with arrival. The league position still needs repairing, performances still need refining and the biggest tests will demand a higher standard.

Arsenal provide the next opportunity to demonstrate that progress. A positive result would strengthen the feeling that Liverpool are moving in the right direction. More importantly, the performance will offer another indication of how far they have come.

For Iraola, however, the objective is not to prove that Liverpool have already reached their ceiling. It is to make sure they keep raising it.