Arsenal: Unai Emery can avoid Arsene Wenger failure

Across November, December and early January, Arsenal will play 12 games in 38 days. This was typically the period they would falter under Arsene Wenger. Unai Emery now has a chance to differentiate himself from this predecessor.

What makes English football so brilliantly unique is the ferocity and frequency of the Christmas period. The weekend’s fixtures continue as normal. Then there is the Boxing Day match. Then one on New Year’s Day. Then the FA Cup third-round. It is a relentless wave of football. And isn’t it fantastic?

Find the Pain in the Arsenal Podcast here – Assessing Unai Emery’s first term

Well, perhaps not for those who have to play and manage those matches. This the crucial period of the season for any team. Last year, when Arsenal played Manchester City in early December, they had a chance to go level on points with the league-leaders. A week later, they were nine points behind and started the slump that would see them slip all the way into sixth.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

For Unai Emery, this will be the first time that he has embarked on the Christmas period in this county. It will be a surreal experience for him, especially with no winter break in January to look forward to. In his press conference on Friday, Emery laid out his understanding of the upcoming run:

"“Yes, it’s my first experience where we are going to play – starting on Sunday – and not stopping in the Christmas period. It’s my first experience, but every person I know with experience here in the Premier League, as players and also people in the clubs, they say to me it’s a big important moment in this period of two months, because we are going to play a lot of matches and important matches for how we can be in the table.”"

All in all, Arsenal will play 12 games in just 38 days. And that does not include the FA Cup third-round fixture that will be played on either the 4th or 5th of January depending on the draw and TV schedule. Of those 12 games, eight are in the league, with three of them coming against Manchester United, Spurs and Liverpool.

Typically, this was the period that Arsene Wenger would begin to falter. His overuse of players, running them into the ground and then suffering injuries. His attractive style that preferred smooth pitches and good weather. The defensive frailties that existed largely exploited with his players tired. There were plenty of reasons for Wenger’s failure during the November-January run.

Emery, therefore, now has a chance to steer clear of his predecessor’s shortcomings. As he looks to put together a blossoming first season in charge that builds a foundation for his tenure, learning from the errors that Wenger made and amending his management as a result is crucial. Over this winter period, Emery can do precisely that.

If Arsenal harbour hopes of a top-four finish, of a deep run in the domestic cups, of a building momentum prior to the Europa League knockout stages, then this must be a successful period. For Emery, that means differentiating himself from the failures of Wenger.