Mikel Arteta may have breathed a sigh of relief following Arsenal’s gritty 1-0 victory over Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League quarter-final first leg, but the critics remain unconvinced.

Despite getting back to winning ways thanks to a stoppage-time strike from Kai Havertz and crucial saves from goalkeeper David Raya, the Gunners have been issued a stark warning: they are simply not operating at the same elite level as European juggernauts Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.

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The sobering assessment was delivered by former Chelsea midfielder and ESPN pundit Craig Burley.

While acknowledging that Arsenal are now overwhelming favorites to reach the semi-finals, where they would face either Barcelona or Atlético Madrid, Burley stressed that navigating the “kinder” side of the draw is masking fundamental shortcomings.

Arsenal have been warned despite winning vs Sporting

‘In terms of the result you obviously take it,’ Burley said on ESPN, as reported by Metro.

‘Sporting are one of the weakest teams left if not...