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Arsenal: Unai Emery poised to make us all believers
Unai Emery has turned Arsenal’s confidence and form around in the last three matches. Is he making believers out of the fans again?
It is natural for a new manager to be given a grace period when they take over at a new club. In order to adjust to a new league, new players and new challenges, patience and perspective are key.
Find the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal Podcast here — BATE Borisov and Mesut Ozil fanboys
Arsenal is a singularly unique club in the fact that the previous manager held the position for such an expansive tenure. So much of what Arsenal was and still is can be traced back to Arsene Wenger and his philosophy. Unai Emery’s task, therefore, as Wenger’s successor, was never going to be an easy one and, after the 22-game unbeaten streak, I believe many fans lost sight of that, including myself.
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To date, Emery’s crown achievement was the 4-2 victory of bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur in a thrilling North London Derby that showcased all of the elements that fans were begging for this season. The team that day showed perseverance to battle back from 2-1 down. The manager displayed tactical nouse in his second-half adjustments. Both of the club’s star strikers scored important goals and the new midfield sweetheart even scored his first goal in fine fashion.
It is a day that will live long in the memory no matter how this season plays out, but the lofty heights of that day made way for a precipitous drop in form. Spurs got their revenge against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup, Manchester United ousted the Gunners in the FA Cup, Southampton reprised their role as bogey-men, and then there was, of course, that unfortunate business at Anfield. There was a fine performance against
Banter FC
Chelsea but a loss away to West Ham and draw to Brighton really cast that run of games in a bad light.
Wrapped up in that string of shaky form was the Mesut Ozil saga, fans turning slightly on academy products Ainsley Maitland-Niles and most bizarrely Alex Iwobi, and a slight shift in mood towards the manager. The nadir of Arsenal’s season came in an unlikely setting, thousands of miles from home in Belarus.
However, to his credit, Emery has turned things around in fantastic fashion. To be fair, since the defeat to BATE Borisov, Arsenal have faced their Europa nemeses at home in the return leg, defeated lowly Southampton and utterly dismantled a depleted Bournemouth side. The north London club has scored 10 and conceded only one goal in their last three matches. In a vacuum, those results are nothing to really write home about but it is the way in which Emery has managed the side back into form at the precise moment that has been truly impressive.
At the heart of this mini-renaissance has been Emery’s employment of squad rotation, tactical flexibility, and improved man management. Emery made six changes on Wednesday against Bournemouth and conjured one of the best performances of the season. His reintegration of Mesut Ozil should be applauded. Only time will tell if he has motivated a real response from the German but the talisman’s timely return to form, and an uptick in work rate, can only be seen as a massive boon for a side in need of a spark.
Iwobi’s progress also cannot be overlooked. Despite coming under a great deal of flack for presumably not being Luka Modric, Iwobi has persisted with his good form on the season and persevered through barren patches that would have derailed his season in the past. Emery’s manipulation of a shaky defense is also admirable, getting the best out of players like Sead Kolisnac and Laurent Koscielny, while also bringing Stephan Lichsteiner and Carl Jenkinson in from the cold.
Next. Arsenal Vs Bournemouth: Player ratings. dark
Regardless of whom they have beaten in recent matches, Arsenal’s form is real and potent. In a side so reliant on confidence, battering Bournemouth is a massive boost to the egos. Of course, the old cliche that form goes out the window in derbies could still hold true, but Emery should be pleased with the way he has gotten his team back on track to make a final push. As fans, it may be time for us to start looking forward at Tottenham and 3rd place rather than over our shoulders.