Mikel Arteta has issued a response to Tottenham’s Europa League triumph – and if they had a better season than his Arsenal team.
Spurs defeated Manchester United 1-0 in the final on Wednesday to secure their first major trophy in 17 years and qualify for the Champions League.
Arsenal, meanwhile, ended their season without a trophy and haven’t registered any significant silverware since the FA Cup five years ago, despite Arteta previously trying to count their two Community Shield wins.
Spurs’ victory over United means they have now won a total of four major European titles – double the amount of their north London rivals Arsenal.
Quizzed about Spurs winning the Europa League trophy in his press conference on on Thursday, Arsenal manager Arteta said: ‘I congratulate them.
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‘I think they are champions, and when you get to that, you have to do a lot of things right.
‘I think they have gone through a season with again a lot of obstacles and difficulties and they have helped them at the end to manage a beautiful moment.
‘So you have to congratulate. This is a sport and I am sure they have done everything in their hands to achieve it and they are very happy.’
Spurs have massively struggled in the Premier League this season with Ange Postecoglou’s side sitting 17th in the table with just one game left.
They are 15 places below second-placed Arsenal, who look set for their third successive runner-up finish in the Premier League.
Arteta appeared to aim a dig at Spurs ahead of the Europa League final – but after their rivals landed the trophy – he shared an incredibly coy response when asked which club had enjoyed a better season overall.
‘I don’t like to compare with other teams,’ Arteta added. ‘I need to analyse my team. That’s my job.’
Meanwhile, Arteta is already looking ahead to next season as well as the summer transfer window.
‘Obviously you have to rest [first], then you need to be very convinced and aligned of what you want to do to give yourself the best chance,’ he said.
‘Then you need to start to feel that feeling in your tummy that you are willing to come back here on day one, fully motivated, fully enthusiastic to go again with the group of players and staff that we have.
‘I am excited [for next season] but I think now I need as well to rest a little bit, to calm down and to start to make certain decisions in the most efficient way.’
On the summer transfer window, Arteta continued: ‘I think [new sporting director Andrea Berta] is going to be a big contributor. His experience, the fact that he has already won and won in a very difficult context as well, the way he has built teams I think is exceptional.
‘I think we have to share all that responsibility. Andrea is going to be a key part driving the idea and the plans that we have to try to execute them, and we are here to support him.’