'The best' - Julen Lopetegui lays down the gauntlet to Arsenal ahead of West Ham clash

As Arsenal gear up for their weekend clash against West Ham, boss Julen Lopetegui has lavished high praise on the Gunners following their exploits in Europe and the Premier League. Ahead of the match-up at the London Stadium, Lopetegui hailed Mikel Arteta’s men as the "best team in the Premier League" despite not being present on the touchline due to a suspension.

The West Ham manager's absence comes as a consequence of his third cautio in Monday’s triumph over Newcastle. Reflecting on this, he said: "Sometimes I need to improve the way I say my feelings, I have three yellow cards but it’s OK," highlighting his high regard for officials whilst acknowledging his fiery sideline demeanor.

The Spaniard emphasised the challenge that awaits his team in facing an in-form Arsenal, noting Arteta's exceptional management. "The most important thing is the players on the pitch being ready to compete against, in my opinion, for sure the best team in the Premier League and one of the best teams around the world," Lopetegui expressed during Thursday's press conference, lauding the north London squad while stressing readiness for the encounter.

Arsenal's unbeaten streak in all three matches since Martin Odegaard rejoined the starting lineup, including the impressive win over Portuguese champions Sporting CP in the Champions League on Tuesday, has been attributed to their squad depth by Lopetegui. The Spanish manager praised Arsenal's performance, saying: "It was a very good performance for sure but it’s not only this, normally Arsenal have a lot of solutions and players and have a lot of ways to win. They played well."

He also acknowledged individual talents within the team, adding: "If I talk about him (Odegaard) then I must talk about [Bukayo] Saka, Declan Rice, they have top players, [Kai] Havertz, they have two teams."

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