Arsenal: Unai Emery delivering on promise of progress

It’s still early in Unai Emery’s tenure at the helm of Arsenal, but even as it stands, he is delivering on his promise of progress in very clear ways.

Last term the Gunners did not record their first away win until match day nine against Everton – a thrilling 5-2 thrashing in the wake of “cajone gate.” Arsenal won a total of four away games all term – with the fourth coming on the final game of the season.

Progress: Unai Emery has already recorded four away wins in his virgin campaign in north London – the most recent win against the Cherries coming in his sixth time of asking. With 13 points from those six games, virtually half of the Gunner’s 27 points have come from their travels. Contrast this with the previous regime: 16 points in total from 19 games.

If this, in and of itself, is not proof that Emery is coming good on his promise of progress at Arsenal, how about this: the new boss is still using the old gaffer’s players. Lucas Torreira is the only regular outfield starter to not see a minute of action last term.

From the moment Emery walked in the door, the changes have come thick and fast. The formation has changed. The insistence on starting players simply because they have “quality” or demanded an exorbitant fee has changed.

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The overall work rate, player by player, position by position, has changed. And each of these changes have been demonstrably for the better. If you can bring yourself to agree with this then your agreement alone is proof positive that the new boss is doing more with what the old boss left behind. By definition, that is progress.

An additional proof of progress is in the line-up changes made to suit the new formation. Rob Holding looks far more experienced and poised this season, so much so that it is easy to forget he is still 23 years old. New acquisition Sokratis was brought in to be the solution on the left, yet when he does get game time it tends to be central in a back three or on the right – partnered with Holding either way.

The same goes for Alex Iwobi. His willingness to not simply show for, but also turn on the ball has him looking like a new player. It was the 22-year-old Nigerian whose passing unlocked the Bournemouth defense time and again in the second half. But this was no one-off performance; no cherry-picked data to prove a contrived point – it was an encapsulation: young Iwobi, on £30,000 per-week, has clearly out performed £180,000 per-week Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Where were these players last term? They were an unfortunate combination of on the bench and lacking confidence. It is safe to assume that if the old boss was still around this would still be the case. It may even be safe to assume that the old boss was the source of those confidence-depleted bench warmers.

Unai Emery is delivering on his promise of progress. Are there things to work on? You had better believe it. But on aggregate, compared to the challenge he accepted, the laundry list is so much shorter after only a few months in charge. By definition, that is progress.