Arsenal: Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola illustrate key virtue

The disparity between Arsenal and Manchester City was shown in stark terms on Sunday. But Pep Guardiola’s success, like Jurgen Klopp’s, illustrates the key virtue that this club must show with Unai Emery: patience.

There was a clear and painful chasm between and Arsenal and Manchester City on Sunday. While the scoreline may have only been 2-0, the quality of City’s play far outweighed that of their hosts throughout the 90 minutes, only failing to score more because of an uncharacteristic lack of clinical decision making in the final third and taking their foot off the gas once the second was scored.

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These are two teams that are at very different levels at this current moment. City are one of the very best teams in world football. Arsenal, it goes without saying, are not. As Unai Emery embarks on this new era, if he wasn’t aware already, after the weekend, he will understand quite plainly just how much work there is to be done.

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It is important that Emery is allowed to get on with that work. His opposite number on Sunday is a prime example. Pep Guardiola was hired two summers ago, managing a team in a far better position than the one Emery takes over, has invested vast sums of money on key players at a variety of positions, and was given the time to implement his system, his plans, his tactics, his style. And now look where City are. But they haven’t always been this good under Pep.

In his first season in charge at City, Guardiola masterminded a 2-0 loss to Spurs, a 3-1 loss to Chelsea, a 4-2 thumping at the hands of Leicester City, and a 4-0 defeat to Everton. City finished third that year with 75 points, only three ahead of Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal, who ended the year in fifth. It takes time and it requires patience.

Another example is Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. It was October 2015 that Liverpool hired Klopp. That is almost three years ago. Only now are the Reds reaping the rewards of that hire, and still, they haven’t won a trophy under the German. It takes time.

Contrast Liverpool and City’s progress to that of Manchester United, who, in trying to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson, one of the only situations in recent history that is comparable to what Arsenal and Emery are trying to achieve at the Emirates. United finished in the top two for the first time last season since Ferguson’s retirement. During Ferguson’s reign, they finished outside of the top two in the Premier League on only three occasions.

United were impatient. Neither David Moyes nor Louis van Gaal was afforded the time they require to re-shape the club into their image. Whether you agree or disagree with the hirings in the first place, there is no point in making any hiring whatsoever if the club isn’t going to be patient and allow the manager to implement their approaches.

For Arsenal, then, it is imperative that they are patient with Emery. They must allow him to work, to build his team, to give him two years at an absolute minimum to prove that progress is on its way. If they don’t, this whole process was pointless. All they have to do is look across the dugout to see why patience is the key virtue.