Unai Emery
Flickr photo by Aleksandr Osipov shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA 2.0) license.

Arsenal: A fresh manager and a fresh start

Mustafa Ismail·
Arsenal
·1 Comment·

After their 1-0 win against Sporting CP in the Europa League, Arsenal have won 11 games on the trot with Unai Emery – a streak they could not muster up in the last 10 years…

It’s still early days for Unai Emery in the Arsenal hot-seat, but it’s been a dream start as his side are currently on a blistering run of form. To add to their undefeated streak, they’re also playing some jaw-dropping football. Over the years, we’ve seen glimpses of the old Arsenal – but they’ve made a habit of turning off when it matters most. Even the most optimistic of fans will be fearing a similar drop after such a brilliant spell. Emery will need to ensure that his team plays with the same intensity for a longer period of time to cement their status as title contenders.

The likes of Mesut Özil, Alexandre Lacazette, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have suddenly turned on the style and the sizzling chemistry between them is evident. At the start of the season, many were questioning Emery’s insistence on playing out from the back and the effect it was having on certain players. Petr Čech, in particular, was suffering due to his limited ball-playing abilities. However, the Spanish manager ignored the criticism and continued to implement his unique brand of football.

It’s easy to get sucked into all the noise when you step into a new football club, but Emery has taken Arsène Wenger’s place admirably thus far. Despite sticking to Wenger’s players, he’s introduced an effective style of play and stuck to his strengths. This isn’t always the case for managers in the Premier League, with José Mourinho’s struggles at Manchester United being a prime example.

Big shoes to fill

Wenger was undoubtedly one of the greatest managers English football, and the world, has ever seen. His team was a treat to watch, especially at the time of The Invincibles. Unfortunately, the Frenchman could not replicate that kind of success in the last ten years. This inevitably led to criticism over his fiscal and tactical approach. Arsenal were struggling to compete for the Premier League or the Champions League, and even failed to make the Top 4 last season. It was time for a fresh face and Unai Emery has provided fans with some exciting football. More importantly, Arsenal seem prepared to compete with Europe’s elite once again.

The manner in which Arsenal won their last Premier League game against Leicester City was mesmerizing to watch. They came back from a goal down and produced some scintillating football to win the game 3-1. The Gunners’ third goal will go down as one of the best goals this season, especially from a collective perspective. It included a back-heel, a dummy, and some precise passing en route to the net. The man at the center of it all was Mesut Özil, who silenced his critics with an emphatic display. It’s no surprise that the team’s upturn in fortunes is linked to the German playmaker’s improved form.

Emery is still an infant in managerial terms, but fans will be hoping to see their team extend its remarkable run deep into the season. With the right mentality and approach, there’s no reason why this group can’t bring the glory days back to such a prestigious football club.