Diego Simeone makes Arsenal claim Mikel Arteta will love in Liverpool title race

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has given his verdict on Arsenal after his side were beaten 4-0 by the Gunners in the Champions League on Wednesday night

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone believes Arsenal are the 'best team' his side have come up against this season following Tuesday night's Champions League clash. The Gunners claimed a 4-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to second-half goals from Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Martinelli and a brace from Viktor Gyokeres.

Atletico's time in England this season hasn't been particularly enjoyable. Just last month, they faced Arsenal's title rivals Liverpool and ended up on the losing side due to a 92nd-minute winner from Virgil van Dijk in a 3-2 defeat.

And speaking after the game at the Emirates, Simeone was full of praise for the Gunners' performance.

"Yes, I'd say the best team we've faced this team," he told Amazon Prime, via a translator, when asked if Arsenal were the strongest team he has come up against so far.

"Arsenal, they compete so well, they run and they run; there's quality all over the pitch and yeah, well they deserved to win today and I want to congratulate them on that win as well."

Following a goalless first-half, Arsenal pulled away from Atletico with four goals in just 13 minutes.

"It's a learning curve, we just need to keep improving," Simeone said on the game. "I thought we competed really well to begin with.

"There were two situations in the game that didn't go our way that should have gone our way. And then from 60 minutes onwards, well they were the better team and they deserved to win."

Defender David Hancko echoed his manager's sentiments regarding Arsenal. He said: "A very tough game.

"You can expect this because they're one of the best teams in the world right now - definitely. It was working in the first half, we were able to defend, even if they created a few chances."

The win preserved Arsenal's perfect record in the Champions League this season, with eyes again turning to the Premier League. The Gunners sit at the top of the table and face Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

A loss against Manchester United last weekend, meanwhile, leaves reigning champions Liverpool in third and seeking to end a sequence of four consecutive defeats.

They face German outfit Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday. Their preparations have been disrupted after the club was compelled to cancel their pre-match press conference due to flight delays to Germany.

A return to the Premier League on Saturday sees them travel to take on Brentford.