Mikel Arteta has congratulated Tottenham on winning the Europa League - but refused to be drawn on whether they have had a better season than rivals Arsenal.
Spurs won the Europa League on Wednesday night after beating Manchester United 1-0 in the final in Bilbao.
Victory ended Spurs’ 17-year wait for a major trophy, while it was also their first piece of European silverware since 1984.
And Arteta said on Thursday: “Just congratulate them. 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.”
Tottenham’s Europa League success is in contrast to a miserable Premier League campaign, where they have lost 21 games.
That is the most number of matches Spurs have ever lost during a single Premier League season and they are currently 17th in the table with one game to go.
Arsenal did not win any silverware this season and their last major trophy came back in 2020, when they lifted the FA Cup.
The Gunners are currently second in the Premier League and they reached the semi-finals of the Champions League this term.
But asked who has had the better season, Arsenal or Spurs, Arteta replied: “I don’t like to compare with other teams. I need to analyse my team. That’s my job.”
