Mikel Arteta praises UEL victors Spurs for ‘beautiful moment’

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta congratulated north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur for winning the Europa League on Wednesday, but insisted that whether a team have won a trophy should not determine if a season has been successful.

Arteta’s side, who are second in the Premier League behind champions Liverpool, will finish without any silverware this term, but Spurs, who have had a dismal domestic campaign and sit 17th, have ended the season on a high with a European trophy.

“They are [Europa League] champions and when you get to that you have to do a lot of things right. I think they’re going through a season with a lot of obstacles and difficulties. And they have, at the end… A beautiful moment,” Arteta said.

But asked at a news conference on Thursday which of the two teams have had a better season, Arteta avoided a direct comparison between Tottenham and his own side.

“I don’t like to compare with other teams. I need to analyse my team, that’s my job,” Arteta, who led Arsenal to the Champions League semifinals, said.

Arteta added that a team should not be judged solely on their trophy count in a season, citing the example of his own side, who have never won the Champions League and have not lifted the Premier League trophy since 2003-04.

“Where is the joy then? Because then if I have to analyse ourselves … We have failed the last 20 years in the Premier League and we have failed in all our history in the Champions League,” Arteta said.

“Who are we then? Where is our brand, where is our club… Where is our value, our way of playing? Where are the moments that we lived together with our people?”

Arteta said Arsenal, who have conceded only 33 league goals so far this season, seven fewer than Liverpool, were motivated to finish with the best defensive record in the top flight as they end their campaign at relegated Southampton on Sunday.

“We want to have as many points as possible. We still want to achieve the best defensive record … Finish the season on a high,” he added.