Arsene Wenger says the strength of the Premier League can make it harder for English clubs in the Champions League.
The Gunners were one of three English clubs to lose their opening match in the Champions League, and now face a battle to qualify from Group F.
Wenger says the financial resources of Premier League clubs means that domestic competition is fiercer now than it has ever been.
"I don’t know if other teams look at [English clubs] with more or less fear. I believe that the Premier League is very, very tough"
Arsene Wenger
“That’s the problem - when you go to Leicester and see who sits on the bench, that has changed in England,” the manager said. “It makes every game very difficult and demands a lot of mental concentration to get it right as well.
“We want to do well in the Champions League and when you’re a big club you have to face that and deal with it.
“I don’t know if other teams look at [English clubs] with more or less fear. I believe that the Premier League is very, very tough. Is that an influence or not? I don’t know but it’s a bit early to come to any conclusions.
“We have to wait a little bit longer. A second year without [English clubs] being successful and you could come to a conclusion of, ‘Yes, there’s something we have to analyse deeply’, but I don’t believe so at the moment.
“You cannot say [English clubs] are at that level [of the past] now because in the last two years Barcelona and Real Madrid have won the Champions League. We have to say they were the better teams. Are we far away? I don’t think so but we have to show that with our performance.”
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