Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone has made a huge claim after his side have faced Arsenal, Liverpool, and Real Madrid already in the 2025/26 campaign. Ordinarily, the Rojiblancos are set up in such a way that ensures they rarely lose by big scorelines, and neutrals are well aware of their strength in tournament formats - a team built on a deadly efficient smash-and-grab mentality.
That was not to be the case in north London on Tuesday night, however, as Mikel Arteta's in-form Arsenal side found a way to kick the door of a well-drilled defence off its hinges and run away with a 4-0 victory. The scoreline was goalless at halftime, but the Gunners pulled ahead in the second half with a flurry of four goals in just a 13-minute spell.
Gabriel rose highest from a corner to open the scoring in all-too-familiar fashion on the hour-mark, Gabriel Martinelli quickly doubled the lead, and a brace from Viktor Gyokeres sealed a statement win under the lights at the Emirates Stadium. It was the kind of display that would have sent a shiver down the spine of the rest of Europe.
Diego Simeone Makes Huge Arsenal Claim After 4-0 Defeat
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone reacts vs Liverpool
UEFA Champions League - Liverpool v Atletico Madrid - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - September 17, 2025 Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone reacts Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers
But perhaps what will serve as the real wake-up call to Arsenal’s growing power this week is Simeone's admission that, out of themselves, Real Madrid, and Liverpool, he believes it's Arteta and co. that are the best team Atletico Madrid have faced so far this campaign. He told Amazon Prime:
"I would say they are the best team we have faced this season. They compete so well, their players run and run, and they have quality all over the pitch. They deserved to win today and I want to congratulate them. It is a learning curve. We just need to keep improving. I thought we competed really well to begin with. From 60 minutes they were the better team and deserved to win."
The Argentine manager, who is among the longest-serving in Europe's top 10 leagues, added: "We have to put this behind us now, and we need to focus on training on the things that went right, and we need to make improvements as well."
Atletico defender David Hancko was also full of praise for Arsenal, telling UEFA: "It was a very tough game. You can expect this because they’re one of the best teams in the world right now - definitely.
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Arsenal, it would appear, have come a long way since Arteta was first appointed in 2019, with their mentality and know-how coming on in leaps and bounds over the last six years. They are now a side capable of delivering masterclasses to their opponents, and their growing squad depth should serve as a warning sign to every team they face this season as the stars align on turning those key traits into tangible success.
You can set your watch by Arsenal's consistency in going deep in every competition they enter these days, but now all eyes are on whether they can finally get over the line - ending a two-decade wait for the Premier League title and capturing that elusive first Champions League crown, with their next fixtures in both coming against Crystal Palace and Slavia Prague.