Are Liverpool back? Andoni Iraola’s evolving project now faces the ultimate test

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While Arteta had just won Arsenal’s first Premier League title for 22 years, the kingmaker was Iraola, whose Bournemouth team had held Manchester City, leaving the Gunners four points clear with a game to go. “We spoke the next day just to congratulate each other because it was massive for us as we got Europe,” Iraola said.If Iraola was an unwitting ally to Arteta then, now he assumes the role of obstacle to his fellow Basque’s ambitions.

Liverpool have already lost to City at Anfield; beat Arsenal, as they did last year, and the gap between is reduced to three points. Even now, when Liverpool have gathered momentum on a run of five straight wins, Iraola has noted only two have come in the Premier League.

Despite all preferring the left, each has delivered when on the right; in a match-up with Arsenal, without Bukayo Saka and Max Dowman, possibly without Christos Tzolis or Noni Madueke, Iraola could seem to have the better options on the flanks.Iraola and Arteta are friends from the Basque country but could be the coaches contesting a title race this season (Getty)While his brand of football can seem more adventurous than Arteta’s, perhaps Iraola has borrowed from his old friend’s playbook. “It helps a bit with the height and the physicality of the team.” Since Araujo’s introduction, at Ipswich in September, Liverpool have only conceded one league goal with 11 men on the pitch, albeit augmented by three after Ryan Gravenberch’s red card against City and a trio in each of their last two European matches.“We are defending really well lately but still we have some situations where we need to improve,” said Iraola.