Atletico Madrid were humbled 4-0 by Arsenal in the Champions League and manager Diego Simeone took a subtle dig at old enemies Liverpool in his post-match comments
Amie Wilson and Neil Docking
13:40, 22 Oct 2025
Diego Simeone, head coach of Atletico Madrid
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Diego Simeone, head coach of Atletico Madrid(Image: Clive Mason/Getty Images)
Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone has delivered what appears to be a subtle swipe at Liverpool after his side's crushing 4-0 Champions League defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
The Spanish outfit have endured a torrid time on English soil this campaign, having previously suffered heartbreak at Anfield where Virgil van Dijk's 92nd-minute strike sealed a dramatic 3-2 victory for the Reds - a match that saw Simeone embroiled in controversy with the home supporters.
Despite facing Arne Slot's Premier League champions Liverpool earlier this season, when the Argentine tactician was sent off after clashing with fans at the end of the game, he has boldly declared Arsenal as the "best team" his Atletico side have encountered this campaign.
"Yes, I'd say the best team we've faced this team," Simeone told Amazon Prime through a translator when quizzed about Arsenal's superiority, reports the Mirror.
"Arsenal, they compete so well, they run and they run; there's quality all over the pitch and yeah, well they deserved to win today and I want to congratulate them on that win as well."
Diego Simeone manager / head coach of Atletico Madrid reacts during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD3 match between Arsenal FC and Atletico de Madrid at Arsenal Stadium on October 21, 2025 in London, England
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Diego Simeone endured a difficult evening at the Emirates Stadium(Image: 2025 Catherine Ivill - AMA)
The Gunners turned on the style after a tepid first 45 minutes, unleashing a devastating 13-minute blitz that left Atletico shell-shocked.
Gabriel Magalhaes broke the deadlock on 57 minutes before Gabriel Martinelli doubled the advantage seven minutes later.
Viktor Gyokeres then put the game to bed with a quickfire double, striking in the 67th minute before completing the rout just three minutes afterwards.
Speaking after the match, Simeone said: "It's a learning curve, we just need to keep improving. I thought we competed really well to begin with.
"There were two situations in the game that didn't go our way that should have gone our way. And then from 60 minutes onwards, well they were the better team and they deserved to win."
Echoing his manager's sentiments, defender David Hancko also found Arsenal a tough nut to crack. "A very tough game," he admitted to UEFA.
"You can expect this because they're one of the best teams in the world right now - definitely. It was working in the first half, we were able to defend, even if they created a few chances."
Currently, Arsenal are basking at the top of the Premier League table and will be back in action on Sunday, squaring off against Crystal Palace at their home ground, the Emirates Stadium. Their victory kept their Champions League record spotless for this season.
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On the other hand, Liverpool are desperate to put an end to their losing streak of four matches when they face German outfit Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday. Their preparations have been hampered as the club had to cancel their pre-match press conference due to flight delays to Germany.