Bournemouth manager Gary O'Neil has followed Everton boss Sean Dyche in applauding the job Mikel Arteta has done at Arsenal.
O'Neil's Cherries side were beaten in heartbreaking fashion by the Premier League leaders on Saturday. Goals from Philip Billing and Marcos Senesi saw them open up a two-goal lead, only for Arsenal to strike three times in the final half-hour, with Reiss Nelson delivering a stoppage-time winner.
Everton boss Dyche hailed the performance of the Gunners in midweek as they put four past his team, suggesting the 4-0 victory was the kind of display which "wins titles". Echoing his counterpart, O'Neil, who is in his first Premier League job after replacing Scott Parker in the dugout, described Arteta's side as the best in the league.
"It’s devastating, obviously, to lose in that way," O'Neil said after the defeat at Emirates Stadium. "The way the boys went about it and the effort they put in was superb.
"It’s a tough one to take but Arsenal are the best team in the league. I don’t think many people would have expected us to come here and trouble Arsenal, but we did and we came up just short.
"We performed well above what you might expect and deserved something from the game," he added. The loss in north London, coupled with Southampton's victory over Leicester, saw Bournemouth drop to the bottom of the table.
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Dyche's Everton are another of the sides fighting to stay in the league and their defeat at the Emirates came just weeks after victory in the reverse fixture. The former Burnley boss has only been in the job since January but has plenty of experience of leading teams out against Premier League champions.
"Second half, they showed what a side they are," Dyche said after the 4-0 loss in north London. "I said to my players, 'what you've got to remember is it's not just about their ability'. At the end, they're closing down, they're pressing, they save one off the line because they're throwing bodies at it.
"That's what wins titles. That's the feeling of a group that wins titles. I'm not saying they've won it by any means, Man City are fantastic but you look at their work ethic."
Arsenal's victory leaves them five points clear of closest challengers Manchester City, with both teams having played 26 games. The pair don't meet again until late April, but the league leaders have challenging games in the interim including a trip to Liverpool.
City beat Europe-chasing Newcastle in Saturday's early kick-off to force a response from Arteta's men. Goals in each half from Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva made the difference against the Magpies.
