Arteta responds to Guardiola’s major Arsenal claim

Mikel Arteta has responded to Pep Guardiola’s claim that Arsenal are currently the best team in the world.

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Speaking in his press conference ahead of Manchester City’s upcoming Premier League match against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Pep Guardiola claimed Arsenal are currently the world’s best team.

“The best team right now in the world,” Guardiola said of Arsenal. “Look in Champions League, look in the Premier League, look in FA Cup, in Carabao Cup. It is the best team right now.

“Hopefully we can be close, and getting better, getting better, and give us one chance to catch them.”

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Mikel Arteta was asked about the comments in his own press conference later that day, as he prepares his side for a big match against Manchester United this weekend.

“I don’t know,” Arteta responded. “I think we are the team that wants to be constantly better, that we’re 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, but especially in certain areas, try to improve again

“It’s always much better to hear positive things about your team and the work that you are doing but obviously that’s 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 that we can be every single day and we’re not going to stop until we achieve that.”

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Arsenal certainly won’t be remembered as the world’s best team this season if they fall apart in the second half of the campaign and fail to win anything.

As it stands, the Gunners are still in contention for all four trophies that they started the season in. They’re top of the Premier League table, top of the Champions League table, winning their League Cup semi-final against Chelsea, and in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

But it doesn’t take much for a Premier League points gap to evaporate. Leading the Champions League table is great, yet it doesn’t matter much if you lose your first knockout tie. Liverpool know all about that from last season.

The cup ties are even more fragile. One slip-up and your tournament could be over immediately.

If Arsenal want to prove Guardiola’s claim, they need to remain consistent and continue impressing in all four competitions in 2026.