Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, has brushed aside Pep Guardiola’s suggestion that the Gunners are currently the best team in world football, insisting that such a label can only be earned through sustained success and major trophies.

Guardiola had made the remark while speaking to the media ahead of Manchester City’s Premier League fixture against Wolves, describing Arsenal as the outstanding side in the global game. The comments quickly sparked debate, given the fierce rivalry between the two title contenders in recent seasons.

But Arteta was in no mood to embrace the compliment when it was put to him during his own press conference ahead of Arsenal’s league clash with Manchester United on Sunday.

“I don’t know,” Arteta said when asked about Guardiola’s assessment.

“I think we’re the team that wants to be constantly better, that were doing a lot of things right, but we’re far from perfect.

“To be related to that [best team in the world], you’ve to win a lot of things [trophies] and we’ve not.”

While the North London side have earned praise for their style of play, consistency and development under the Spanish coach, their trophy cabinet remains a point of reference in comparisons with Europe’s elite.