PEP GUARDIOLA hailed Premier League leaders Arsenal as the best team in the world.
But Gunners boss Mikel Arteta insists his side are “far from perfect” and that Guardiola’s Manchester City cannot be ruled out of the title race.
City are seven points behind Arteta’s men after failing to win any of their last four league games.
Guardiola, whose side host rock-bottom Wolves on Saturday, said: “They [Arsenal] are the best team in the world right now.
“We have to get better and hope they can give us one chance to catch them.
”Pep’s City have a history of chasing down the Gunners — overhauling them in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns — and Arteta is not writing them off.
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Manchester United visit the Emirates for a league clash on Sunday, with the Gunners coming off the back of four away games in different competitions — as they also battle in the Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
Boss Arteta said: “You don’t have to go back to the history of that club [City] in the last ten years and what they are capable of doing.
“We know what we have to be able to do to win this Premier League. We are far from perfect.”
Guardiola had 11 stars unavailable when City were stunned by Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League on Tuesday.
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New signings Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo will be available against Wolves, while Bernardo Silva returns from suspension.
Guardiola added: “I know the reason we are struggling now, 100 per cent I know what’s happening with the team.
“They are fatigued, like last season, we cannot rotate the teams.
“At the moment, we cannot play against European teams every three days.
“So let’s give it a little more time. Will it be enough? I don’t know.
“When we arrive in February, March, all I ask is to have the team back.
“After that, I swear, we will be there. Give me my squad back and then, after that, we’ll see what happens.
“I have an extraordinary team — I don’t have any doubts about that.”
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