Robin van Persie has delivered a warning to his old clubs Arsenal and Manchester United over Premier League champions Manchester City and runners-up Liverpool.
The two sides battled it out at Wembley in the FA Community Shield, with Manchester City winning 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in 90 minutes.
And van Persie has spoken about what he expects from the two sides this season, and how far ahead they are of their top six rivals, in his opinion.
“What we have learned today is that they are the best two teams, not just in England, but in Europe," the Dutchman said, speaking on BT Sport during their coverage of the game.
“They are ahead of the rest [in the Premier League] and with the styles of the two teams and the way the coaches set them up, for me they are the two best teams in Europe."
Last season, City finished 26 points ahead of Chelsea in third place, winning the Premier League title with 98 points, one point ahead of Liverpool in second.
Tottenham, who finished in fourth place, were 27 points behind the champions, while van Persie's old clubs Arsenal and Manchester United finished 28 and 32 points respectively behind Pep Guardiola's side.
And former Tottenham midfielder agreed with van Persie, adding that he feels Manchester City will again be the team to beat in the Premier League this season, with Liverpool as their closest challengers.
