Arsenal cannot replicate the meteoric rise of Liverpool due to financial restraints and the Premier League becoming more competitive, says Mikel Arteta.
Jurgen Klopp signed a new deal to keep him at Anfield until 2026 on Thursday, signalling an intent to extend Liverpool's dominance that has them hunting an unprecedented quadruple.
Liverpool are profiting from a transformation in the club's fortunes, underpinned by astute signings and the development of players into world class stars.
The Gunners, meanwhile, are fighting for fourth in the Premier League – a competition they have not won since 2003-04 – with their last trophy being the 2019-20 FA Cup.
While manager Arteta respects the route Liverpool took to return to a force to be reckoned with, the Spaniard believes Arsenal must forge their own path.
"There are things you can try to compare, and you can acknowledge how other clubs have been through these processes and these phases of a project, like Liverpool," he told Sky Sports.
"But what the league was six years ago and what the league is today is completely different. Those leagues were won with 83, 84, 86 points. Now you need 95, 96 or 100 points to win the league.
"The context is completely different, so what was good three or five years ago is not good anymore, because the standards are so high.
"We need to focus on what we want to do and how we are going to execute it, and not look too far ahead."
Arsenal visit West Ham on Sunday as they look to build on their two-point advantage over fifth-placed Tottenham, who they face in the penultimate week of the season in what could decide Champions League qualification.
Once this season is complete, Arsenal face a crucial transfer window in order to become more competitive, with Manchester City forward Gabriel Jesus reportedly a top target.
Arteta reiterated that Arsenal cannot duplicate the success of Liverpool's signings, given the club's financial restraints.
"I don't think we are in a position where we can do that, so we have to find other ways to do it," he added when asked in reference to Klopp signing both Alisson and Virgil van Dijk for record fees at the time.
"Liverpool, as well, have improved their players immensely, which is as important as bringing players in. And then, the ones that you buy, [it's important] that they can have an impact straight away.
"That's a big decision they have to make in recruitment, and then they are human beings as well. They have to adapt, and sometimes that's a tricky question to answer before they are actually here.
"We want to make the squad stronger, we want to make the starting XI stronger, we want to make the specificity and the personality of our players stronger, and that's what we are going to be seeking to do.
"It will depend on many factors. How many players are back from their loans, with the commitments we still have with them, our financial position in relation to where we finish; the clubs' demands when we want to buy players or sell players.
"There are a lot of question marks there, but this is football. We've been through a lot in the last two seasons and we are going to try to manage it in the best possible way.
"The good thing is that the plan is clear, but the plan is just the plan until you start to work through that plan. Then, every decision and every situation is going to allow you – or not allow you – to be as close as possible to that plan, which is our aim."
Women's Champions League roundup: Real Madrid snatch first leg lead
A late goal from Melanie Leupolz gave Real Madrid a 2-1 first-leg aggregate advantage over Sporting CP in their Champions League qualifier.
The away side took the lead after just 11 minutes as Athenea del Castillo capitalised on a poor mistake from Sporting keeper Hannah Seabert and slotted the ball into an empty net.
Despite Madrid's dominance, they were pegged back on the stroke of half-time after a foul by keeper Misa Rodriguez in the box, with Andreia Bravo making no mistake from the spot.
Madrid continued to dominate in the second half, with Alba Redondo going close, but it looked as if Sporting would hang for a draw to take to Madrid next week.
But that was before Leupolz headed the ball into the net in injury-time after Olga Carmona's cross could only be parried out.
Meanwhile, Galatasaray squandered a two-goal advantage to draw their home-leg encounter with Slavia Prague.
A second-half brace from Andrea Staskova looked to have given the Turkish side a healthy lead to take to the Czech Republic, but Slavia Prague responded late on, with Benan Altintas scoring an own goal 15 minutes from time, before Kristina Kosikova's 98th minute equaliser.
St Polten, meanwhile, hold a healthy first leg lead after defeating Musa 3-0 at home.
The first half produced no goals, but the Austrian side showed their class in the second half, with Kamila Dubcova, Melike Pekel and Izabela Krizaj all getting on the scoresheet.
Colorado Rapids v Toronto FC: Armas calls on hosts to heed 'wakeup call'
Chris Armas says the Colorado Rapids' comprehensive defeat to Sporting Kansas City must serve as a wakeup call as they prepare to resume their playoff push against Toronto FC.
Colorado won their first two games upon returning to MLS play after the Leagues Cup break, but they were brought crashing back to earth with a 4-1 defeat in Kansas City in midweek.
Armas' men remain in a positive position, sitting fourth in the Western Conference standings with a game in hand on some of the teams around them, but he knows they need to ensure Wednesday's performance was a one-off.
"It's probably a wakeup call to all of us, what these games are going to look like," Armas said. "Everyone's fighting for something.
"Everyone's got something to play for and in our league, everyone is capable. A positive is we're on 47 points, we've earned every one of those points.
"We're in a good spot for the playoffs, we've put ourselves probably a win or two away from the playoffs.
"We're going to get home and regroup quickly, then get right back where we've been all year."
Toronto, meanwhile, are occupying a wild-card spot in the East after losing 2-0 to the Columbus Crew in their last match.
"We should have taken something out of the first half, that's clear, then in the second half we had to capitalise on the moments we had," coach John Herdman said afterwards.
"For us, the lads were in the fight, there was a good spirit and they were tactically disciplined and committed.
"We need that from every single player to get into the playoffs, we need every player to play above their level."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Colorado Rapids – Djordje Mihailovic
Mihailovic has 22 goal involvements in MLS play this season (10 goals, 12 assists), the most of any Colorado player. He has not scored in any of their last four regular-season home games, though, so he will be desperate to get back among the goals here.
Toronto FC – Deandre Kerr
Kerr has scored two of Toronto's last three goals in MLS play. He has five goal involvements (three goals, two assists) in just 10 league starts this year.
MATCH PREDICTION – COLORADO RAPIDS WIN
Toronto have earned just 15 points from 45 available on their travels in MLS play this season, winning four, drawing three and losing eight.
They face a daunting task at Dicks' Sporting Goods Park, where Colorado have a record of nine wins, three draws and two defeats in regular-season action this season.
The Rapids are also unbeaten in their last nine league games on their own turf, winning seven and drawing two, and they are favoured to maintain that form here.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Colorado Rapids- 57.8%
Toronto FC – 20.3%
Draw – 21.9%
Brest 2-1 Sturm Graz: Hosts making winning start on European bow
Abdallah Sima's second-half goal secured Brest their first-ever win in a European competition in a 2-1 victory over 10-man Sturm Graz on Thursday.
The French side made their Champions League bow, with goals in either half enough to overcome an own goal on the stroke of half-time.
Hugo Magnetti scored Brest's maiden European goal just 23 minutes in, expertly controlling it on his chest before volleying into the bottom corner to break the deadlock.
However, Sturm Graz equalised just before the break, with Edimilson Fernandes inadvertently sending the ball into his own net.
Brest adopted a more aggressive approach following the interval, and they were rewarded when Sima restored the French side's advantage by skilfully evading his marker to score in the 56th minute.
The visitors were reduced to 10 men with just two minutes remaining of the 90 when Dimitri Lavalee received his second booking after a late tackle on Magnetti. Jonas Martin then had two late chances to snatch a third but was denied by Kjell Scherpen.
Data Debrief: Making an entrance
Brest’s win over Sturm Graz was just the second by a team making their debut in major European competition across the last 21 attempts (D4 L15), with Zrinjski Mostar in last season's UEFA Conference League the only other victor in that time.
Magnetti netted on what was his first-ever start in European competition, becoming the first player to net a team's first-ever goal in the Champions League from outside the area since Demba Ba for Istanbul Basaksehir against Manchester United in November 2020.
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