Arsenal: This is why Unai Emery needs two necessities

Arsenal were utterly thrashed by Liverpool on Saturday night in a rather humiliating manner. The 5-1 defeat proved that Unai Emery needs two necessities: time and money.

Well, that was rubbish. Arsenal, after taking a surprising lead through Ainsley Maitland-Niles, proceeded to crumble against Liverpool, conceding two goals in the space of 90 seconds and entering half-time with a 4-1 deficit. In the end, it was a damning 5-1 defeat.

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The match was a perfect reflection of the differing standards and standings of these two clubs. Liverpool have already undertaken the process with Jurgen Klopp that the Gunners are embarking on with Unai Emery. Their team is almost complete, and so is the journey that Klopp has taken them on. Arsenal’s is just beginning.

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And it was stark just how much better Liverpool were than their visitors on Saturday. Specifically, it was the disparity in personnel, not the coaching, that was so significant. At every position on the pitch, Liverpool were better. And of the 11 starters for Klopp’s team, nine were either signed by the German manager or brought up to the senior squad — only Roberto Firmino, who changed position under Klopp from a number ten to a false nine, and Dejan Lovren, who would usually drop out of the team for Joe Gomez, another Klopperian star, were at Anfield prior to Klopp’s arrival.

What Klopp has enjoyed at Liverpool is what Emery now requires at Arsenal. And there are two elements that the Spaniard is in special need of, if he is to make their Emirates adventure the success that he obviously believes it can be: Time and money.

It is evident that Arsenal’s problems come from their lack of high-quality personnel, both in the standard of the players and in the depth of the squad. Quite frankly, neither are the starting players of a title-challenging level nor are is the size of the squad sufficient to provide tactical flexibility and depth throughout a whole season.

For Emery — and Sven Mislintat and Raul Sanllehi and the executives and scouting structures at the club — to be successful, it is clear that this whole squad must be gutted, re-tooled and re-built. And for that to happen, Stan Kroenke will need to put his hand in his wallet, back Emery with financially, and also give his head coach time.

At times, there have been calls for Jurgen Klopp to be fired. ‘He has not won a trophy’, his critics said. But Liverpool never wavered in their belief that Klopp was and is the right man to lead them forward. Additionally, throughout his time at Anfield, Klopp has been substantially backed financially. Liverpool have not been afraid to splash the cash. It has served them well. These are two elements that Emery now requires to be successful in north London.

Emery has a plan, a process, a clear and concise method with which to lead this club. But to attempt and then complete this process he needs time and money. Whether he will then receive them or not, however, is another question altogether, one that Kroenke will have to answer.