West Ham boss David Moyes believes Arsenal have benefited from no European football this season.
Moyes watched his West Ham side fall to a 2-1 defeat to their London rivals on Sunday as they juggle the demands of trying to reach the Europa League final with an overstretched squad.
“My goodness, it’s made a difference for them from day one,” Moyes said.
“Arsenal’s improvement this year has been incredible because probably not being involved in Europe has given them the chance to prepare correctly for games.
“They had a bit of a slow start to the season, but they’ve been in terrific form all season. It’s just as well when you have a young team and are trying to get a good enough squad together.
“Last season Arsenal got to the semi-finals of the Europa League and it became quite a difficult season for them because of that. We’re in it this year so we’re a bit the same.”