There is a difference between winning football matches and building a team capable of competing with the best. Liverpool have spent the past fortnight making encouraging progress towards the former. On Sunday, they will discover rather more about the latter.

Five consecutive victories have changed the mood around Anfield and given Andoni Iraola some much-needed breathing space. The manner of those results, however, matters as much as the sequence itself. Liverpool have found ways to win, negotiated different challenges and, most recently, survived a Carabao Cup tie against Chelsea that eventually required penalties to separate the sides.

Yet Arsenal represent a different proposition. The reigning Premier League champions arrive at Anfield with the quality and organisation to punish the weaknesses that less demanding opponents might not expose. For Iraola, this is an opportunity to demonstrate that Liverpool’s recent revival is more than a welcome improvement in results.

It is a chance to show that the foundations of a recognisable identity are beginning to take hold.

Momentum is valuable, particularly for a manager attempting to establish his own methods at a club with Liverpool’s expectations. Five wins in succession provide evidence that Iraola’s side are moving in the right direction. They do not, on their own, establish how close Liverpool are to the level required to challenge for the biggest prizes.

That distinction is important. A successful run can create confidence, but it can also disguise unresolved problems. The standard of opposition, the circumstances of individual victories and the team’s ability to respond when a match becomes uncomfortable all contribute to a more meaningful assessment.

Wednesday’s meeting with Chelsea offered a reminder of that complexity. Liverpool progressed to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals after a 6-5 penalty shootout victory, but the 1-1 draw over 90 minutes was not an entirely convincing performance. There were moments when the side struggled to impose themselves, while the introduction of Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola gave Liverpool an additional attacking threat.

The result was ultimately positive, and the importance of progressing should not be understated. But Arsenal will offer fewer opportunities to recover from periods in which Liverpool lose control.

Iraola will want his team to take the confidence from the recent run into Sunday without mistaking confidence for completion. The challenge is to turn promising signs into a consistent level of performance.

One of the most important questions surrounding Iraola’s Liverpool is whether the improvements can be seen in the team’s behaviour as well as the results.

The Spaniard’s footballing reputation has been built around intensity, aggressive pressing and a willingness to make opponents uncomfortable. Those principles are demanding. They require coordination across the team, a willingness to work without the ball and the technical quality to take advantage when possession is recovered.

At Liverpool, the challenge is not simply to introduce those ideas. It is to make them work with a squad assembled under different circumstances, while meeting the expectation that the club should be competing at the top end of English football.

There are encouraging attacking resources available to him. Alexander Isak provides a focal point, while Wirtz offers the ability to connect midfield and attack. Barcola brings another dimension in wide areas, and Liverpool have other options capable of changing the character of a game.

The question is how effectively those qualities can be brought together against an opponent who will demand precision in possession and discipline without it.

Arsenal are an especially useful measuring stick because they are not likely to allow Liverpool to dictate the terms of the contest for long periods without a response. If the hosts press, they must do so with conviction and organisation. If they commit bodies forward, they must be prepared for the spaces that can emerge behind them.

The balance between aggression and control could define the afternoon.

There is a reason why Sunday’s fixture carries greater significance than another opportunity to extend a winning run.

Arsenal have established themselves as the benchmark in the division. Their defensive organisation and ability to restrict opponents make them a particularly difficult side to play against. They are unlikely to be unsettled simply because Liverpool arrive with confidence or a lively atmosphere behind them.

For Iraola, the tactical challenge is to find a way of making Liverpool’s attacking strengths count without allowing Arsenal to exploit the spaces left behind.

That could place particular importance on the midfield battle. Liverpool need to be capable of progressing possession under pressure, supporting their forwards and preventing Arsenal from establishing sustained control. The ability to win second balls and react quickly when possession changes hands will be just as important as the quality of the first pass.

It is also an examination of Liverpool’s resilience. There will be periods when Arsenal have the ball and the hosts are required to defend. How Liverpool respond to those moments, rather than simply how they approach the opening stages, will offer a clearer indication of their development.

A convincing victory would represent a significant statement. A difficult afternoon would not necessarily undo the progress of recent weeks, but it would highlight the distance still to travel.

It would be premature to describe Liverpool as a finished product under Iraola. The Spaniard is still working through the process of shaping a team in his image, and the recent run of results should be viewed as encouragement rather than definitive proof.

That is not to diminish what has been achieved. Rebuilding confidence after a difficult period is no small task, and winning five consecutive matches gives Liverpool something tangible on which to build.

But the expectations at Anfield are not defined by beating the teams immediately around them. They are shaped by the prospect of competing with the best in the country and in Europe.

Sunday provides an opportunity to take a meaningful step towards that standard. Liverpool do not need to produce a perfect performance to demonstrate progress, but they do need to show that the qualities Iraola wants to instil can withstand the pressure of facing the champions.

The recent victories have given him momentum. Arsenal will provide the examination.