Mikel Arteta Makes Candid Admission After Pep Guardiola Labels Arsenal ‘Best In The World’

Last Updated:January 24, 2026, 07:36 IST

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta responds to Pep Guardiola's praise, stressing the need for trophies before claiming 'best in the world' status.

Arsenal players after winning at the end of the Champions League opening phase game against Inter Milan (Picture credit: AP)

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has said that his team is the one that wants to keep doing things better and are currently doing a lot of things right, but shoved aside his Manchester City counterpart Pep Guardiola’s quip that Arsenal are the best in the world right now.

Arteta said that the Gunners need to start winning trophies before they can be considered worthy of that title.

Ahead of the Wolverhampton clash, Guardiola told the media that Arsenal are the best team in the world.

“Absolutely (it will be harder), they are the best team in the world right now. Look in the Champions League, look in the Premier League, look in the FA Cup, Carabao Cup, so they are the best team right now," Guardiola said.

However, Arteta brushed aside the ‘best in the world’ tag, insisting that Arsenal are still far from the finished product.

“I don’t know. I think we are the team that wants to be constantly better, that we are doing a lot of things right, but we are far from perfect and our only aim is to sustain the level that we are doing, especially in certain areas and try to improve again. To be related to that (best in the world), you have to win a lot of things and we have not," Arteta said.

Guardiola’s men are yet to win a league match this year, permitting Arsenal to open up a seven-point lead in the title race.

Arsenal are chasing a fifth successive Premier League home victory over old rivals Manchester United this weekend as they aim to keep the chasing pack at bay.

The Gunners were held to consecutive 0-0 draws in the league against Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, but title rivals Manchester City and Aston Villa couldn’t capitalise.

On paper, Arsenal may not be concerned ahead of Manchester United’s visit, but they will be wary of a potential new-manager bounce under Michael Carrick.

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