Arsenal attacker Lukas Podolski admits the Premier League is a step up from what he experienced at Bundesliga.

Despite three German sides qualifying for the last 16 of the Champions League, Podolski says English football offers the greater challenge.

"I think it is harder here," he told arsenal.com. "You have tough games and then you see the league in Germany and there is only one team at the front - Bayern.

"I think the quality in the German league is very good now, not like five years ago. But I think the Premier League is a little bit better.

"When you look at the league now, we have 15 games to go and we must fight to get back into the top four."