Arsenal are set to finish the season as Premier League runners-up but rivals Spurs will join them in the Champions League after their Europa League final triumph
Football fans have been quick to pull Mikel Arteta up on his comments about comparing clubs. The Arsenal manager was asked about Tottenham Hotspur’s Europa League win but attempted to stay away from any comparisons to his own five-year trophy drought on the other side of the North London divide.
During a press conference, Arteta was asked whether Premier League runners-up Arsenal or trophy-winners Spurs could say they have had a better season. “I don’t like to compare with other teams,” he said. “I need to analyse my team – that’s my job”.
However, it’s not that long ago that Arteta was making comparisons with other teams after Liverpool won the title despite falling short of Arsenal’s points tally from last season. “Winning trophies as well is about being in the right moment, in the right place,” he said in early May.
“Liverpool have won the title with fewer points than we have in the last two seasons. With the points of the last two seasons, we would have two Premier League titles.
“So, you have to be at the right moment, in the right place. Hopefully, here we are in the right moment, in the right place in Paris tomorrow, to earn the right to be in the final.”
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It hasn’t taken long for fans to point out the change of approach in his language. “This Mikel Arteta who doesn’t like to compare to other teams… …is it the same Mikel Arteta who seems to talk about other teams constantly?” one asked.
“Compared his teams points total to Liverpool less than 2 weeks ago, compared teams that finished 8th, 16th and 17th injury records with his teams. But he doesn’t like to compare,” wrote another.
“Didn’t he compare Liverpool and Arsenal’s points tally only last week?” asked a third. Another echoed that comment, saying: “Doesn’t like to compare to other teams, didn’t he make a point about having more points last year than Liverpool this year just a week ago…”
Arteta won the FA Cup in his first season as Arsenal manager but hasn’t added to that trophy tally. Even so, he had a clear answer when asked about football having a binary nature where success is measured in trophies.
“I mean, you’re going to only evaluate that, then use those two words and that’s it. But then, I think, make decisions in base to that,” he said. “So next season you don’t do that, you are out. If you do that, you are here forever.
“I don’t know what is it, because last night is a really good example of that. Or the final between Inter and PSG, because they’re going to be judged only if they win it. If not, they’re going again like the last 12 years that they have tried it. They are very different beyond that.”
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