Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola believes Arsenal are the best team in the world.
The Gunners are seven points clear of City at the top of the Premier League and boast a perfect record of seven wins from seven in the Champions League.
Guardiola accepts his out-of-form side now have their work cut out to catch them but remains hopeful.
The City manager said: “They are the best team in the world – look at the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
“They are the best team right now and hopefully we can be close, get better and better, and they can give us one chance to catch them.”
Guardiola was speaking to the media ahead of his side’s clash with the Premier League’s bottom side Wolves on Saturday, when City will have the chance to cut the gap to four points.
Arsenal are in action on Sunday when they host Manchester United.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta was more modest in his assessment of his team when asked about Guardiola’s comments at his own press conference.
Arteta, a former assistant to Guardiola at City, said: “I don’t know. We are the team that wants to be constantly better. We are doing a lot of things right but we are far from perfect.
“Our only aim is to sustain the level we are doing, and, especially in certain areas, try to improve again.
“It is always much better to hear positive things about your team and the work you are doing.
“But obviously that (best team in the world) is a big word especially because, in my opinion to be related to that, you have to win a lot of things, and we haven’t.
“But we certainly have the purpose to be the best version of ourselves that we can be every single day, and we are not going to stop until we achieve that.”
Arsenal have capitalised on City’s miserable start to 2026 to take firm control of the title race.
City have not won in four and were comprehensively beaten by arch-rivals United at Old Trafford last week.
Their woes were then compounded as they crashed to a shock Champions League loss at Norwegian minnows Bodo/Glimt in midweek.
These results have come amid an injury crisis, with the defence particularly affected, but new signing Marc Guehi will make his debut against Wolves at the Etihad Stadium.
The England centre-back joined City in a £20million move from Crystal Palace earlier in the week.
Guardiola has warned, however, the 25-year-old is not the solution to all their problems.
He said: “The fragility – I know how it will be solved.
“It’s not solved with just one player, but he’s going to help us because he’s exceptional. He’s a player for England, the captain for the team that won the FA Cup and made an incredible season.”
Asked what the solution was, Guardiola said: “The players know it.”
