Kevin De Bruyne got into a heated exchange with Mikel Arteta during their match on Wednesday but, after the game, was full of praise for Arsenal.

Kevin De Bruyne shoved Mikel Arteta after he kicked the ball away to slow the game down during a throw-in on Wednesday night.

Despite this, after the game, De Bruyne spoke positively about Arsenal’s quality, calling them “exceptional” and praising their energy and young players.

“I think every year gets tougher because of the quality of the teams,” De Bruyne said.

“Everyone does such good business and gets so much quality in it. It’s hard to play against every team.

“Doing what we did in the last years… when we come up against every team, they want to beat us.

“We know that, so to keep doing what we do is great, but we need to keep going.

“Arsenal are exceptional. They play such good football, and it is hard to play against them.

“They have such energy, young guys. They do what they need to do.

Manchester City’s 3-1 victory over Arsenal put them at the top of the Premier League on goal difference.

However, Arsenal have one game in hand, so the title is still in their hands if they avoid defeat against Everton on March 1.