Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka has said the Gunners "Don’t care about anybody" when asked about north London rivals Tottenham's involvement in the Champions League. The Switzerland international was quizzed on the Lilywhites on Wednesday ahead of their clash with Marseille at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
It was the Spurs who beat Arsenal to the final place in the top four to seal Champions League qualification for the upcoming campaign. Mikel Arteta's side exceeded expectations throughout the previous season, putting themselves in the ideal position to finish fourth.
However, defeat in the north London derby and a loss to Newcastle back-to-back were a huge blow in their attempts to do so, having to settle for fifth. It means that Arteta's men will be competing in the Europa League instead after a year without continental football.
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With the side now going 29 years without winning a European trophy, the Spaniard claimed he hopes he can end that run: "That’s a long time. We would like to be the first one to break that negative record but you have to start somewhere and it starts tomorrow by playing well and earning the right to win the match."
Their run in the Europa League starts with an away trip to FC Zurich, the lowest coefficient side in Group A that Arsenal will face. However, with such a thin squad and the desire to compete across all competitions and return to the Champions League, it could be a challenge.
While they battle with the Europa League, rivals Tottenham will be featuring in the Champions League, though Xhaka claims he doesn't care about that prospect. Speaking ahead of the FC Zurich game, he said: "We don’t care about anybody. We don’t look at other teams. This is how it is. We have to accept it. We want to be in the Champions League, of course, but personally, I don’t look at the teams."
With plenty of games ahead, the Gunners will be hopeful they can make that return to the top continental competition. However, one of their best chances could be through the Europa League.
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