Arsene Wenger admits to ‘regret and guilt’ over Leicester’s Premier League title victory – ‘We should have beaten them!’

Arsene Wenger has admitted he feels “regret and guilt” at Arsenal not beating Leicester to last season's Premier League title.

Claudio Ranieri's team of underdogs completed a historic triumph, leaving Wenger and his side second and still without a league title since 2004.

Wenger expects this season to be the most competitive ever, with leading clubs assembling what he termed a "world championship of managers".

But the Gunners boss admits he, and many of his peers, will begin the new season with regrets over how the last campaign ended.

"Who expected Leicester to be champion last season? Nobody," Wenger said.

"So you would say today to take into account seven or eight teams who can win it. There is always a surprising team, and then you have six or seven big clubs who have the ambition to win it.

"All the big clubs experienced last season a regret and a feeling of guilt but that would take something away from Leicester, who had an exceptional season.

"When you lose only three games in a season in a difficult league like that, you are a fantastic champion.

"[There is] guilt because you would not have predicted Leicester win the league, so all the other teams would say 'We should have come in front of Leicester'.

"You would understand you could lose against City, United, Liverpool or Tottenham - not Tottenham! - the other big clubs, but you should beat Leicester.

“But they had an exceptional season and you have to congratulate them."