PSG boss Luis Enrique names what Arsenal are ‘best in the world’ at ahead of Champions League final

Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique has hailed Champions League final opponents Arsenal as the best team in the world without the ball.

The Ligue 1 and Premier League champions will meet in the Budapest final on May 30, having met in last season’s semi-finals.

PSG came through those two legs, winning 3-1 on aggregate, before thrashing Inter Milan 5-0 in the final.

The French team go in as favourites to defend their Champions League title against the Gunners and Enrique recognises they have a tough skillset to compete with.

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Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, the day after Arsenal were crowned Premier League champions, the PSG boss said of the Gunners: ‘I think they deserve to win the league — they have had a brilliant season.

‘We have already played against this Arsenal side, so we know what they are capable of.

‘Without the ball, they are the best team in the world, and with it they can score a lot. It is a wonderful combination for them.

‘It makes sense that we are facing them in the final. We can look forward to a truly great final.’

Enrique has won the Champions League with both PSG and Barcelona, with three Ligue 1 and two La Liga titles to his name as well.

Arteta’s Premier League triumph this season is his first top flight title so is lagging long behind his compatriot when it comes to silverware, but has impressed Enrique.

‘When you look at Arsenal’s stats, you can see that Mikel Arteta is a leader as a manager, who has instilled a winning mentality in the team,’ said Enrique.

‘They have been improving for several seasons now; they love the ball, but they are the best team in Europe without it.

‘They won the Premier League and they’re in the Champions League final this year after reaching the semi-finals last season. They deserve to be there, and Arteta instils a competitive spirit in his players.’

He added: ‘The most important thing for us is to focus more on ourselves and less on the opposition. That is what we will continue to do.

‘We are talking about the best club competition in Europe, so yes, there’s an element of adaptation — because the standard is very high.’

Arteta was full of praise for both Luis Enrique’s PSG and Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich after the first leg of their semi-final this year.

He loved what he saw from both sides, but said both domestic leagues they compete in are a ‘different world’ from the Premier League.

‘Bayern-PSG is probably the best game I have ever witnessed on the quality of two teams, and especially the individual quality that the players deliver,’ said Arteta earlier this month.

‘I’ve never seen something like this. But when I look at the amount of minutes and the freshness of those players, then I’m not surprised. To deliver those moments of quality, you have to be very fresh and the difference in the leagues and the way they compete is night and day, and you just have to see a lot of stats that have been recently around it.

‘We are competing in two different worlds, so you cannot compare one part of that without giving any context to that. I don’t think it’s fair.’