Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has labelled Serie A outfit Napoli as the best team in Europe and likened their play style to Premier League title rivals Arsenal. The Gunners currently sit five points clear at the top of the table heading into the final 11 fixtures of the season.
City breezed through to the Champions League quarter-finals as Erling Haaland scored five goals in their 7-0 win over RB Leipzig at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday evening. Their progression in the competition will see more fixtures added to their already busy schedule which may play into Arsenal's hands in the title race.
The Gunners are still involved in European competition themselves as they prepare to face Sporting CP in their Europa League round of 16 second-leg clash at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday night. City's squad depth would suggest they can handle the intensity of a title race and European football better than Arsenal, but the north Londoners have shown they are able to deal with any obstacle thrown their way so far this season.
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Arsenal still have to face City at the Etihad Stadium and Mikel Arteta will hope that his team avoids suffering a similar fate to that of Leipzig. When asked about the resurgence of Italian teams in Europe this season, Guardiola told Sky Sports Italy: "Napoli are perhaps the best team in Europe this year.
"In terms of playing style they’re very close to Arsenal. Inter and AC Milan are back.
"I am very pleased. And then here we have [Roberto] De Zerbi who is changing many things in English football [at Brighton], playing wonderful football."
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta spent three and a half years at the Etihad Stadium as an assistant coach and Guardiola has already made sure to praise his mentor's side for the desire they have shown in recent times. Back in January, the City boss said: "We have an opponent in Arsenal who is like, they have the fire.
"Two decades. without winning the Premier League and every player knows they will go down in history. That’s how we felt when we won the first Premier League and break all the records and another one back-to-back, and two times back-to-back.
"In life and everything we have the fire inside, it’s not, we don’t have to ask anything, I just explained the reality that is so comfortable, and opponents don’t wait. You’re telling me how bad? No, we’re second in the league, so we are not 20 points behind."
Even if Arsenal lose at the Etihad Stadium in April, they will be two points ahead of City assuming both teams continue to win their matches leading up to the fixture. The Gunners will hope they can continue their winning run until the end of the season after having been beaten by Guardiola's side twice this season already.
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