Daniel Farke says his Leeds United players will "learn a lot" from a humbling 5-0 defeat at Arsenal.
The Whites travelled to north London on a high after starting their Premier League campaign with a 1-0 win at home to Everton.
But a match at Arsenal – even minus the injured Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Chrsitian Norgaard and Ben White, with Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka going off injured, and Eberechi Eze not signed in time to play – is a different level altogether.
A Leeds XI featuring six players who only made their Premier League debuts earlier that week were 4-0 down inside an hour before the hosts eased up.
Even though Anton Stach has played in Germany's Bundesliga, Lucas Perri and Gabrielle Gudmundsson in France's Ligue 1, Farke believes England's top division will still have come as a shock.
"I think they can learn a lot from the first 10, 15 minutes because the intensity and the speed of the game is on a different level in comparison to everything they have experienced in the Championship, or for our signings in the Bundesliga," he said.
"The Bundesliga is a fantastic league as well but when the Premier League sides are really on it (the game is played at a different level0, especially in terms of physicality.
"This is good to have this first experience out of the way. Of course we've played opponents in pre-season - AC Milan, Villarreal and a strong opponent on the first (Premier League) game day but this intensity and speed of play was on a completely different level.
HARSH LESSONS: Leeds United manager Daniel Farke (Image: AP Photo/Ian Walton)placeholder image
HARSH LESSONS: Leeds United manager Daniel Farke (Image: AP Photo/Ian Walton)
"We have to step up if we want to perform at this level but away games a Arsenal, or Man City or Liverpool will not define our season.
"If we can sometimes win a point here or there, then great. But for the one-point average we need to survive in this league we have to win other games.
"It was not a free hit, we wanted to go for it and wanted the best possible outcome but sometimes you also have to accept the opponent is too strong and don't dwell on it.
"I think it's fair to say the best managers, the best players, the best teams, the best clubs are working in the Premier League, it's the best league in the world.
STEP UP: Leeds United's Anton Stach (right) (Image: John Walton/PA Wire)placeholder image
STEP UP: Leeds United's Anton Stach (right) (Image: John Walton/PA Wire)
"We wanted to play there. Sometimes you have to accept you will suffer a night like this.
"If we couldn't accept that we should have stayed in the Championship where we could win more or less every game and everything is easy and we can celebrate a lot but we want to compete with the best team in the world. and grow so that hopefully in a few years we are competitive at this level.
"But we know as a newly-promoted side we have to stay humble, have to stay grounded and keep going."
Substitute Noah Okafor made his debut from the bench after joining from AC Milan but he too will have an adjustment to make to what Farke believes is the best and most intense league in the world.
"I think it's fair to say the best managers, the best players, the best teams, the best clubs are working in the Premier League, it's the best league in the world," said Farke.
"We wanted to play there. Sometimes you have to accept you will suffer a night like this.
"If we couldn't accept that we should have stayed in the Championship where we could win more or less every game and everything is easy and we can celebrate a lot but we want to compete with the best team in the world. and grow so that hopefully in a few years we are competitive at this level.
"But we know as a newly-promoted side we have to stay humble, have to stay grounded and keep going."
Largie Ramazani was not involved in the matchday squad but Farke said that was because he preferred Okafor's greater match-fitness having been heavily involved in Milan's pre-season, and Jack Harrison's greater defensive qualities as his substitute wingers.
Ao Tanaka became the second Leeds midfielder in a week after Ethan Ampadu to pick up a medical cruciate ligament knee injury. He will be assessed ahead of Tuesday's League Cup tie at Sheffield Wednesday, but it would be a surprise if he featured in that.