Andoni Iraola has been in charge of Liverpool for only a matter of months, yet the signs of a genuine transformation are already visible — both on the pitch and in the stands at Anfield.

Since suffering their sole defeat of the campaign against Manchester City on 11 October, Liverpool have strung together five consecutive victories across all competitions. It is a run that the club has not seen since the early weeks of last season under Arne Slot, and it arrives at a timely moment: Arsenal are the visitors on Sunday.

Anfield finds its voice again

For much of last season, the famous Anfield atmosphere felt muted. That has changed. A hard-fought comeback win against Villarreal — despite an imperfect performance — generated real electricity in the ground, and the momentum has continued to build with a commanding Premier League victory over Brighton and a penalty-shootout win against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup.

Iraola is aware of what a fully energised Anfield can do. "We have a big advantage over other teams because this atmosphere we can create is special," he said.

Arsenal, meanwhile, arrive bruised after being knocked out of the Carabao Cup by League Two Fleetwood — a result that will only sharpen Liverpool's belief that Sunday represents a genuine opportunity to make a statement.

Rotation and intensity

One of Iraola's most striking tactical signatures has been relentless squad rotation. Liverpool have made three or more changes to their starting XI in nine consecutive games, a deliberate strategy to keep players fresh across a congested schedule.

"It's more a matter of getting the decisions right, in terms of loading and freshening the legs," Iraola explained. "We are changing the team a lot from game to game and I think we will continue this approach."

The numbers support the shift. Liverpool are averaging 24.9 long balls per Premier League game this season, up from 21 last term. High pressures in the opposition half have risen from 160.1 to 165.9 per game, and sprints have increased from 123.2 to 128.3 per game — all while covering marginally less total distance, suggesting the effort is being deployed more efficiently.

Captain Virgil van Dijk captured the essence of what Iraola demands. "The 'intensity' word has been said so many times, sometimes a bit of chaos and there is this risk-reward that's going on now as well," he said. "If we press high, I ended up at one point almost putting Cody [Gakpo] in one versus one on goal when I intercepted the ball — when I'm a left centre-back. It's still a work in progress, but if you defend with a lot of intensity you have a big chance to win the ball high."

A squad taking shape

Across the squad, confidence is growing. Ronald Araujo has quickly earned the trust of the Anfield faithful, while Jeremy Jacquet has adapted smoothly to Premier League football. Cody Gakpo and Alexis Mac Allister are both performing at a higher level than last season, and Iraola has shown a willingness to blood younger talents including Rio Ngumoha, Trey Nyoni, Lewis Koumas, and James McConnell.

Iraola's philosophy is clear: possession statistics matter less than who creates the better chances. After Liverpool's 2-0 win over Brighton — in which the Reds held the ball for just 35.6 percent of the match — he put it plainly: "Whoever controls the game is whoever controls the chances."

The next level

Despite the positive momentum, Iraola insists there is more to come. He arrived late to his Friday news conference because training had overrun — a small but telling detail about where his focus lies.

"There has to be another level," he said. Victory over Arsenal on Sunday would move Liverpool to within three points of the leaders. Defeat, on the other hand, would open a nine-point gap after just nine games — making this one of the most consequential fixtures of Liverpool's early season.