LONDON (AP) — The pinnacle of the Premier League. They are at the top of the Champions League with a 100% performance.
Arsenal are currently the best team in Europe, no matter what Mikel Arteta says.
Arsenal’s 3-1 win over Bayern Munich on Wednesday made them the only team with the most points in the Champions League after five games, while also ending the German club’s unbeaten start in all competitions.
“They played a great game against, in my opinion, the best team in Europe,” Arteta said of his players. “As individuals, we were very good at solving all the challenges this team brings.”
Second-half goals from substitutes Noni Maduke and Gabriel Martinelli sealed victory for Arsenal, after Julien Timber’s header was canceled out by a superb last-minute team goal from 17-year-old Bayern star Lennart Karl. This was Arsenal’s first goal conceded in this season’s competition.
Just three days ago, Arsenal were celebrating. 4-1 win over north London rivals Tottenham At the Emirates Stadium. Next up are Chelsea, the Premier League’s closest challengers, who sit second with a 16-point difference.
“I’m very happy with what I’ve seen so far, the energy that we’ve created in the stadium, what the team is transmitting, the energy that we’ve brought, the quality of play. It’s unbelievable,” Arteta said. “We have to keep it up because it’s still very early and unfortunately we have to do it every three days. That’s also the beauty of it.”
It was Bayern’s first loss in 19 games this season. The match was made even sweeter for Arsenal as former Tottenham favorite Harry Kane failed to score.
“They are a top team… You understand how difficult it (beating Bayern) was, but we were able to do it in one game. This shows what we are capable of,” Arteta said.
___
AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
