(Reuters) - Liverpool are the best side the Premier League has seen for years but their success did not come overnight and Arsenal have lots of work to do to reach those standards, manager Mikel Arteta said after their 3-1 defeat by Juergen Klopp's side.
Klopp took over at Anfield for the 2015-16 season and has steadily improved the side, delivering the Champions League in 2018-19 followed by the long-awaited English league title last season.
Arteta has enjoyed some success since his appointment last season with Arsenal winning the FA Cup, but Monday's defeat showed the gulf in class between the sides.
"We are in a different journey to Liverpool. They've been together for five years and they weren't able to do what they've done tonight two or three years ago, that's for sure," he said.
"They have a lot of good work, a lot of belief in the way they play, great recruitment and they've improved the players that they have. This is what we have to try to do.
"They set the bar and they're probably the best standard that the Premier League has seen in many years. This is where we have to get and obviously we're still a long way from getting there."
Arsenal and Liverpool meet for the second time in a week in the League Cup on Thursday.