Mikel Arteta congratulates Spurs on Europa League triumph but defends Arsenal's season

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has congratulated Tottenham Hotspur for winning the UEFA Europa League on Wednesday.

However, he insisted that lifting a trophy should not be the sole measure of a successful season.

The Gunners, currently second in the Premier League behind champions Liverpool, will end the campaign without silverware.

In contrast, Spurs – despite enduring a dismal domestic season that sees them languishing in 17th place – have finished on a high note with European glory.

“They are [Europa League] champions and when you get to that you have to do a lot of things right,” Arteta said.

“I think they’re going through a season with a lot of obstacles and difficulties. And they have, at the end… A beautiful moment.”

However, when asked at a news conference which of the two teams had a better season, Arteta avoided making a direct comparison between Tottenham and the Gunners.

“I don’t like to compare with other teams. I need to analyse my team, that’s my job,” Arteta said.

Mikel Arteta emphasised that a team’s success should not be measured solely by their trophy count in a single season, citing his own side as an example.

Arsenal have never won the Champions League and have not lifted the Premier League trophy since the 2003-04 season.

“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?”