Arsenal Vs Manchester City: Don’t judge on one game

Arsenal travel to Manchester City on Sunday afternoon. They could get battered. In fact, I almost expect it. But Unai Emery should not be judged on one game.

In the latter years of Arsene Wenger’s tenure, Arsenal had a major problem with playing the rest of the top-six away from home. A 6-0 loss to Chelsea. A 5-1 thumping thanks to Liverpool, four goals conceded in the first 25 minutes. A 6-3 hammering by Manchester City. An 8-2 humiliation by Manchester United.

Find the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal Podcast here — Man. Utd Madness; Transfer Travesty

Consistently, on the road, the Gunners were manhandled by the best teams in the Premier League. I would dread to watch these games just because I had seen the script so many times before. And invariably, it happened again.

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Perhaps the biggest cause of this rather ugly, publicly-shamed symptom was the openness and imbalance that Wenger would set his team up with. As a naturally attacking manager, he would rarely adapt his tactics, believing that his team should dictate the game and that the opposition should have to respond to them. It worked against opposition they were better than. But when it came to playing Citys, the Liverpools, the Chelseas of the world, that same approach, that same culture, did not work.

Wenger’s successor, Unai Emery, is trying to change that culture. So far, there have been mixed results, to say the least. A 3-2 loss at Stamford Bridge that featured a horrible first 20 minutes, a brilliant 15 minute period just before half-time, and a dominated second half. A 2-2 draw at United that Arsenal controlled but failed to win because of lapses in concentration and foolish defensive errors. And then a 5-1 smashing by Liverpool at Anfield, a match painfully reminiscent of the Wenger era.

And now Emery takes his team to the Etihad. On Sunday afternoon, he will once again attempt to overcome the deep-rooted disease of doubt that the Wenger embarrassments embedded deep within the Arsenal psyche. Many of the players may have changed. Many of the coaches may have been replaced. But culture lasts a lot longer than many believe.

It is the Wengerian culture that Emery is tasked with redefining. Instilling a culture takes years. It cannot be done in one or two brief moments. It is the deliberate repetition of the daily processes that breeds habit and culture. That cannot be measured in one game, one week or even one season. It requires time and patience.

And this brings me to the reaction to Sunday’s game. It would not surprise me if Arsenal get pummeled. City are the far superior team coming off an embarrassing loss. They will be eager to set the record straight. The Gunners are dealing with defensive injuries and are simply not ready to compete with such an elite team.

But if they do get pummeled, do not immediately jump on Emery’s back. That does not mean he is exempt from criticism and scrutiny. Just don’t judge him on one game. Be patient. Wait. And then properly assess him when the time is right. And that time is not half-past six on Sunday night.