Europe’s best teams ranked: There is not one side better than Arsenal – ‘turbo version’ that stand above Real Madrid and Bayern

Arsenal are proving to be the team to beat in the Premier League this season and it’s the same case in Europe.

The Gunners have won all five of their games in the Champions League, only conceding one goal all campaign.

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Their incredible form this term has seen their reputation skyrocket, with talkSPORT’s Andy Brassell lauding praise on them.

In fact, European football broadcaster Brassell has labelled Mikel Arteta‘s side as the best team on the continent as things stand.

And they’re sitting atop some football giants, while no Italian teams are worthy of a top five spot.

5. Real Madrid (LaLiga)
League titles: 36
Champions League wins: 15

Real Madrid are currently second in the Spanish league and fifth in the Champions League table.

“I’m going to choose Real Madrid in fifth because of Kylian Mbappe,” Brassell explained. “I think that’s a huge part of it. And also the fact that I feel they’re quite a work in progress under manager Xabi Alonso.

“Clearly, there’s a bit of cultural tension because [Alonso] believes in total meritocracy and that is not the way the ego-driven world of Real Madrid works.

“I think they’re going to keep improving. They’re going to keep improving collectively.

“I think you’ve seen much improved output from Mbappe, from Jude Bellingham as well in recent weeks. Alonso is more focused on including players who can unlock the door.

“You saw against Rayo Vallecano, you put Brahim [Diaz] and Arda Guler in the same team, which I’m not so sure would have happened at a Madrid past. You think Arda Guler is maybe, if not his most important player, pretty close to being it as well.

“I think they’re going to develop over the course of this season. So, with obviously relative chance for change at this point in the season.”

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4. Barcelona (LaLiga)
League titles: 25
Champions League wins: 5

Next up come Real’s arch rivals, Barcelona, who lead the Spanish title race despite some struggles in Europe.

“I think I’m going to take Barcelona ahead of Real Madrid,” Brassell stated. “And I’m going to do that because I think they’re a bigger threat to win the Champions League.

“That’s not to say Barcelona will necessarily win the Champions League. But I think Lamine Yamal is the factor.

“I think if he’s still fit, if they can manage him right for the winter, so he’s ready to go in spring, they’re definitely a contender to win the whole Champions League.

“I think they’ve got a lot to say in the rest of the season. And the addition of Marcus Rashford, the fact that Fermín [López] is more and more valuable this season, I have some doubts over their defence, but they’re in there as well.”

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3. Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1)
League titles: 8
Champions League wins: 1

“You have to have Paris Saint-Germain in there, despite the fact that they’ve had injury difficulties this season,” Brassell said when selecting his third-best team in Europe at the moment.

“It’s something that I think will happen for them throughout the season, because they’ve just played way too much football, and you can see the physical wear and tear on the team.

“As long as they don’t completely run into the ground and have like sort of 10 out at a time, I still think they’ll be competitive.

“I think we’ve seen the young players that they have in the squad are able to get involved. I think you look at [Ibrahim] Mbaye, [Senny] Mayulu, who have been really important.

“I still wonder if they could do with cover for Achraf Hakimi, whether he turns out to be injured for the Africa Cup of Nations, or whether he goes. They’ll miss him for a little while, I guess.

“So, I think Luis Enrique‘s idea is you can’t possibly replace him. So, let’s not try and replace him. I think that’s quite flawed logic.

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“I think you need some sort of replacement for him. Maybe they could work on that, but they’ll be okay.

“I feel pretty sure. They’ve ridden out a lot of injuries already, and they’ve still been brilliant this season so far.”

Bayern Munich (Bundesliga)
League titles: 26
Champions League wins: 6

Just below Arsenal are Bayern Munich, with the Gunners handing the Germans their first defeat in any competition this season.

Arteta’s side’s impressive 3-1 win showed they are the team the beat and brought Bayern’s streak to an end at the Emirates.

But Vincent Kompany‘s men remain one of the best around, with Brassell saying: “Second place, I would have Bayern, who started the season with 16 successive wins in all competitions.

“When I spoke to Harry Kane at the start of the season, he was a little bit concerned about how their squad was maybe a little bit small.

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“They still have Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala to come back, and I kind of wonder if the smaller squad might have worked to their advantage.

“It feels like everyone’s involved, everyone’s implicated, everyone’s really sharp. They’re playing great football. They’re so dangerous. They score goals. They’re so intense.

“And unlike the previous couple of coaches, Vincent Kompany has managed to make them defend properly as well.

“I think they’re a definite Champions League contender for sure.”

1. Arsenal (Premier League)
League titles: 13
Champions League wins: 0

No team in Europe is better than Arsenal.

They seem simply unstoppable at the moment, not losing a single game since August and topping both the Premier League and the Champions League heading towards Christmas.

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The Gunners’ form appears to now be swaying people to think that they could well end up with silverware on the European stage.

Brassell said: “They’ve started convincing me about the Champions League, actually, and their genuine candidacy to win it in the last couple of weeks.

“Look, despite the fact they got into the quarter-final and the semi-final the last couple of years, I never really quite felt I could win it. It didn’t feel as if they really felt like they could win it either.

“But this season, you add to the quality that they clearly have. The greater squad depth, the physicality that’s been discussed, the fact they’re incredibly miserly at the back.

“They’re like a turbo version of Inter Milan going back a year or two.

“So, I think Arsenal are certainly among their Champions League favourites, and I think they’re the best team in Europe at the moment.”