LONDON -- You don't have to believe the bookmakers' odds. You can plead ignorance to Elo ratings. You might even choose to skip over all the tables that rank teams by how good they are at accruing points from football matches. You cannot, however, avoid the evidence that is clear to see in front of your eyes.

Arsenal are the best team in the world right now. Of course they are. They've just done what the best team in Europe does, grinding one of their leading rivals into submission. Bayern Munich were lucky to only have three hung on them. Their goal, which was shaping up to be a consolation within 10 minutes of its scoring, required them to enact by far the most impressive attacking move of the match.

A team who've just won on the road to the European champions routinely needed moments

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