Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has paid a huge compliment to Liverpool for the high standards they’ve set in the Premier League in recent times.
The Spanish tactician was part of Pep Guardiola’s coaching team at Manchester City, playing a key role in steering the club to two Premier League titles in a row in 2017/18 and 2018/19, the latter of which came as part of a domestic treble.
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City have gone downhill since Arteta left to take over as Arsenal manager, with Liverpool reaping the rewards as they ended their thirty-year wait to be crowned champions last season.
Arteta clearly thinks very highly of Liverpool, and made that clear with his comments about Jurgen Klopp’s side after the game, which could perhaps also be taken as a dig at struggling City, who were beaten 5-2 at home by Leicester City over the weekend.
“We are in a different journey to Liverpool. They’ve been together for five years and they weren’t able to do what they’ve done tonight two or three years ago, that’s for sure,” Arteta said after the game, as quoted by Reuters.
“They have a lot of good work, a lot of belief in the way they play, great recruitment and they’ve improved the players that they have. This is what we have to try to do.
“They set the bar and they’re probably the best standard that the Premier League has seen in many years. This is where we have to get and obviously we’re still a long way from getting there.”
We’re not sure Guardiola would be too happy to hear his old colleague suggest Liverpool have set higher standards than City have in recent times!
Isn’t it obvious,Pep should know that expensive players without corresponding effective management will only accomplish little.The expensive and not so expensive players under Klopp”s watch have improved in cash and in kind