Arsenal boss Unai Emery says Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is the best coach in the world.

But Emery says Liverpool's title tilt was proof that Manchester City can be challenged at the top of the table.

He said: “I have analysed a lot of teams and coaches and I think it's difficult to find one coach who is better than Guardiola.

“His career is a very big career. We started together. He started with the Barcelona second team, I started with Lorca and Almeria [In Spain's third and second tiers].

“I learned a lot looking at his team — it's good to look at each other when we are coaches to learn different things between us. I think in his career he's doing the best in all the coaches in the world.

“He has had the possibility to take the best players at Barcelona, in Bayern and in City, little by little. He is, every year, improving with great players and also paying a lot for some players. But he led them, at Barcelona, Bayern and City, one step more every place.

“This, for me, is the quality that makes me say he is the best."