Mikel Arteta claims the quality of teams in the Europa League is taken for granted after Tottenham were knocked out of the Europa League at the hands of Dinamo Zagreb. The Croatian outfit overturned a 2-0 deficit to record a famous upset on home soil, leaving Jose Mourinho to pick up the pieces following a monumental collapse from his depleted Spurs side.
Tottenham looked set to breeze into the quarter-finals of the competition following a professional display in north London.
Yet complacency clearly crept in, in Croatia as Tottenham took their foot off the gas against the underdogs, who had the grit between their teeth.
Mislav Orsic, who came close to joining West Bromwich Albion for £8.5million in January 2020, fired in an incredible hat-trick to sink Spurs including a late winner in extra-time.
Meanwhile, Arsenal were beaten on the night 1-0 by Olympiakos but managed to qualify for the last eight on aggregate (3-2).
Arteta has given his immediate reaction to Spurs’ exit during his post-match press conference.
“It shows the level of opposition that people take for granted,” said the Spaniard, when asked for his thoughts.
“Every team in Europe is very difficult to beat.”
For both Arsenal and Tottenham, this competition represents the best chance of getting back into the Champions League.
The Gunners will now march on and look set to prioritise the Europa League with their Premier League hopes already fading despite the 2-1 win over Spurs.
For Tottenham, there is now added emphasis on the League Cup final against Manchester City as they look to salvage their season.
A top-four finish is still a possibility but following tonight’s body blow, supporters will admit it remains unlikely.
Mourinho said after the game he warned the players of the consequences if their attitude was not correct in Zagreb.
They were given a rude awakening by tonight’s opponents, who simply wanted it more and left everything on the pitch.