Julen Lopetegui overlooked Liverpool and instead named Arsenal as the best team in the Premier League currently.
The West Ham manager – buoyed by their 2-0 win at Newcastle on Monday – is preparing his side to host the Gunners at the London Stadium on Saturday.
Arsenal have won only half of their 12 Premier League games so far this season and currently sit fourth in the table.
Liverpool, meanwhile, have made a smooth transition from life under Jurgen Klopp to new manager Arne Slot and sit in first place with 10 wins from 12 games and an eight-point lead over second-placed Manchester City, who they host at Anfield on Sunday.
The Reds also top the Champions League table with five wins from five matches, including their impressive 2-0 win over title holders Real Madrid on Wednesday night.
But Lopetegui, who will not be in the West Ham dugout on Saturday after being banned for collecting three yellow cards this season, believes Arsenal remain a more dangerous team than Slot’s Reds.
“The most important thing is that the players on the field are ready to face the competition,” Lopetegui said. “In my opinion, for sure [they are] the best team in the Premier League and one of the best teams in the world.
“He [Arteta] He’s doing fantastic as a manager and managing fantastically at Arsenal, putting his ideas in and you can see very well how he’s done it and what kind of manager he is. We must be ready.
A day after West Ham’s vital victory over Newcastle, Arsenal prepared to face the Hammers by beating Sporting CP 5-1 in Lisbon in the Champions League.
Lopetegui said of Arsenal: “It was a very good performance, of course, but it’s not just that. Normally Arsenal have a lot of solutions and players and have a lot of ways to win. They have well done.
“If I talk about him [Martin Odegaard]so I have to talk about [Bukayo] Saka, Declan Rice. They have the best players – [like Kai] Havertz – they have two teams.