Kieran McKenna leaves Mikel Arteta and Arsenal in no doubt with seven-word comment

Ipswich Town manager has left in no doubt over the quality of his side by naming as “the highest standard we’ve faced this year".

Ipswich, now 15 points from safety in 18th place, all but guaranteed their own Premier League relegation with at the hands of the Gunners. Arsenal carried their sensational form following their against Real Madrid into the fixture at Portman Road, dominating the Tractor Boys.

First half goals by Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli set the tone for the Gunners, before Ipswich were left with a monumental task after Leif Davis was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Bukayo Saka. Trossard grabbed a brace in the second half before youngster Ethan Nwaneri capped off the drubbing late on.

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McKenna’s Championship-bound side managed zero shots on target on just 25% possession as they suffered their joint biggest defeat of the season. And the Town boss was unsurprisingly left impressed by Arteta’s tactics, so much so that he singled out the north Londoners as the best team he has come up against this season.

“A really tough game,” McKenna admitted post-match. “It was tough even with 11 v 11, Arsenal started really well. It felt at the start of the game like it was maybe the highest standard we’ve faced this year to be honest.

“‘The group was at full stretch trying to compete and we had a few moments. But their execution was better than ours and their quality shone through. They were the better team and deserved their lead and then of course the red card makes it almost impossible for us.”

He candidly added: “But they were stronger than us. We faced a really strong team, they were on a different level to us today.”

It’s not the first time Premier League opposition have named Arsenal as the strongest team in the league ahead of Liverpool. Nottingham Forest’s Ola Aina also said in March: “Against Arsenal, when they’re passing it, it looks like they’re just going side-to-side but they’re probing.

“There’s balls in behind, flicks and stuff, players are just changing positions constantly and that’s tough. With Manchester City, you can almost get a little breather because it’s in front of you, going side-to-side. They’re more patient with it. For me, playing against Arsenal is long. For me, one of the hardest.”

While Arsenal manager Arteta will be well aware of just how feared his side has become in his five-and-a-half years in charge, it will make him even more disappointed that they’ve failed to win the league this season. The Gunners are set for a second-placed finish in the top flight for a third consecutive season, with Liverpool well clear in the title race.

The north Londoners have drawn too many games (12) in the league, which has contributed massively to their 13-point deficit with just five games left to play. Their next league clash is at home to Crystal Palace.

Yet, all of their focus will be on next week’s blockbuster Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain - their first semi-final fixture in the competition since 2009. And so, while Arsenal have fallen short of their domestic aspirations, they have the chance to make the 2024/25 season truly special by winning the Champions League for the first time in their long history.