Mikel Arteta Hails Chelsea as the ‘Best Attacking Team in the Premier League’

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has surprisingly described Chelsea as the ‘best attacking team in the Premier League’.

Arteta made the comment following Chelsea’s lacklustre performance in the 1-0 defeat to the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Merino’s first-half header secured a vital three points for Arsenal in what was a relatively uneventful contest on Sunday.

Arsenal's new No. 9 Mikel Merino strikes again 🫡 pic.twitter.com/3Acts3kQHt

— B/R Football (@brfootball) March 16, 2025

Arteta’s Surprising Chelsea Claim

Chelsea, who struggled to create significant chances in the match, were notably weakened by the absence of key players like Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, and Noni Madueke.

Despite their struggles, Arteta showered praise on their attacking quality. “I’m very happy, obviously, with the result and with big parts of the performance,” Arteta said following the victory, which reduced Liverpool’s lead at the top of the Premier League to 12 points.

“We had a lot of chances, and then we concede almost nothing apart from a strange save from David [Raya]. That’s huge credit to the team because, in my opinion, Chelsea are the best attacking team in the league.”

Arteta Backs Up His Statement With Data

When asked to clarify his statement, Arteta stood by his assessment, backing his claim up with statistical evidence and tactical observations.

“In open play, yes. By a mile. The stats say it and everything that I’ve seen says it. They can open you up, they have individual quality, they can go in behind, they go from both sides, and they are missing some big players. I have a lot of data and I see how they play.”

Chelsea currently sit fourth in the Premier League table, trailing Arsenal by nine points and league leaders Liverpool by 21 points.

While their attacking numbers (53 goals scored) match Arsenal’s tally, they still lag behind Manchester City and Liverpool in overall goal output.

Can Chelsea Be Premier League Title Contenders Next Season?

Given Arteta’s strong endorsement of Chelsea’s attacking capabilities, he was asked whether he expects them to be a serious contender in the Premier League next season.

“Having the injuries has not helped them, but the manager is really good, and the squad and the players, the quality is there,” Arteta responded confidently.

Mikel Arteta:

"We had 4 of our top players out for many. many months and that's for any club through history of PL when that happens, none of them are in Europe.

Our team have incredible resilience." [sky] pic.twitter.com/nqC2ZKDZeT

— AfcVIP⁴⁹ (@VipArsenal) March 16, 2025

Arsenal Focused on Title Race

Turning his attention back to Arsenal, Arteta emphasised the importance of the win and his squad’s resilience.

“We should have done much more, but we are very happy, and it was an important game. We played a top opponent, and the team played with an unbelievable spirit. Now we go into the international break. The only thing we can do is try to win our matches. If we do, we are in a better position.”

Merino Impresses as Makeshift Striker

With Arsenal dealing with injuries to key attackers, Mikel Merino has stepped up in an unfamiliar forward role, something Arteta praised.

“Mikel really wants to do well, he has never played that position before but he is scoring goals. He is a really dangerous player in the box and he can help us.”

Merino has now scored four goals for the Gunners since operating as a centre forward.

Mikel Merino has scored 3 goals in the Prem since he became Arsenal's number 9.

Only Mo Salah (5), and Omar Marmoush (4) have scored more goals in that time. pic.twitter.com/ru3HmyuS1S

— StatMuse FC (@statmusefc) March 16, 2025