Julen Lopetegui has overlooked Liverpool and instead named Arsenal as the best team in the Premier League currently.
The West Ham manager - buoyed by their 2-0 win at Newcastle on Monday - is preparing his side to host the Gunners at the London Stadium on Saturday.
Arsenal have won only half of their 12 Premier League games so far this season, and currently sit fourth in the table.
Liverpool, meanwhile, have transitioned seamlessly from life under Jurgen Klopp to new manager Arne Slot and sit top with 10 wins from 12 games and an eight-point lead over second-place Manchester City, whom they host at Anfield on Sunday.
The Reds are also top of the Champions League table with five wins from five games, including their impressive 2-0 victory over holders Real Madrid on Wednesday night.
But Lopetegui, who will not be in the West Ham dugout on Saturday after being banned for collecting three yellow cards this season, believes Arsenal remain a more dangerous team than Slot’s Reds.
“The most important thing is the players on the pitch being ready to compete against,” said Lopetegui. “In my opinion, for sure [they are] the best team in the Premier League and one of the best teams around the world.
“He [Arteta] is doing fantastic as a coach and managing in a fantastic way at Arsenal, putting his ideas and you can see very well how he did and the kind of coach he is. We need to be ready.”
A day after West Ham’s vital win over Newcastle, Arsenal geared up for facing the Hammers by thrashing Sporting CP 5-1 in Lisbon in the Champions League.
Lopetegui said of Arsenal: “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.
“If I talk about him [Martin Odegaard], then I must talk about [Bukayo] Saka, Declan Rice. They have top players - [like Kai] Havertz - they have two teams.”
