‘He Is By Far The Best’ — Mikel Arteta Snubs Own ‘Invincibles’ to Name Man City Greatest Team in Premier League History
Fresh off snapping a painful 22-year title drought, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has paid the ultimate tribute to his mentor Pep Guardiola, hailing Manchester City as the greatest team in the history of the English Premier League.
Arteta made the stunning admission during his post-match interview at a sun-drenched Selhurst Park on Sunday, where the newly crowned champions rounded off their historic campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace.
While Arsenal players paraded the gleaming silver trophy in front of their travelling fans—finishing a spectacular seven points clear of City—Arteta chose his moment of triumph to show immense humility and respect toward his fiercest rivals.
“We had to raise our level because you have opposition who are constantly asking that question of you,” Arteta told Sky Sports as confetti rained down on the pitch.
“In my opinion, we had the best team [Manchester City] in the history of this competition, pushing us. In Pep, by far, he is the best manager in the world. To do it with those circumstances and in the manner we did it, it is all about the 'we' in this team. I loved every minute of it,” he added.
The Pundit's View: Arteta's Classy Snub is a Masterclass in Psychological Warfare
Let’s be entirely honest here: the easiest thing for Mikel Arteta to do on Sunday would have been to bask in his own reflection. He had just delivered Arsenal’s first league title since Arsène Wenger’s legendary Invincibles in 2004, systematically dethroned a billion-pound footballing empire, and done so with an unprecedented zero red cards all season.
Yet, by calling Manchester City the "best team in the history of this competition," Arteta pulled off a brilliant, highly calculated piece of elite sportsmanship—and a subtle, masterful snub of his own club's historical icons.
The Deep Cut: By elevating this current Manchester City era above the 2004 Invincibles or Manchester United’s 1999 Treble winners, Arteta isn't just praising Pep Guardiola. He is indirectly inflating the value of his own achievement. The underlying message is clear: "We didn't just win a league; we beat the greatest machine football has ever seen to do it."
It is also an incredibly poignant moment of closure. As Pep Guardiola watches the Etihad curtain fall on his historic decade-long reign in England following City's final-day collapse to Aston Villa, his former assistant didn't kick him while he was down. Instead, Arteta handed him his flowers on a silver platter.
Arteta knows firsthand what it takes to build that City machine, having stood side-by-side with Pep during its foundational years. He understands better than anyone that to survive the relentless, soul-crushing point tallies City demands every weekend, your squad has to be practically flawless.
By attributing Arsenal’s rise entirely to the "crazy levels" City forced them to reach, Arteta has officially closed the book on the student-teacher dynamic. He didn't just learn from the best manager in the world; he absorbed the lessons, built an even more disciplined monster at the Emirates, and finally out-muscled the master. The Premier League trophy is in North London, but Arteta's mindset remains completely elite.
