Arsenal and Unai Emery: Master of the margins

Arsenal overcame Manchester United 2-0 on Sunday because they won the big moments. Throughout the season, Unai Emery’s side have shown that they are the master of the margins.

Arsenal were the better team on Sunday. Manchester United came to the Emirates after a phenomenal European night in Paris. They seemingly left their sharpness there. Nevertheless, had the bounce of the ball been a little different or the whistle of the referee changed its tune, United could very well have won that match, despite the Gunners large control.

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After the match, Unai Emery and his players were largely praised for their approach. He was brave in his team selection, his players then executed accurately on the pitch, exerting control in the first half and a measured counter-attacking approach in the second, and the game was predominantly Arsenal’s to lose. Thankfully, unlike in previous seasons, they did not.

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In his post-match press conference, Emery was rather foolishly asked whether this was his team’s best performance of the season. His answer was very interesting:

"“I don’t know if it’s the best performance this season. I think we’re improving and also I think we’re being competitive in different matches, away from home and against different teams.”"

In a far politer manner than some other managers would have the grace to, Emery essentially says ‘no’. There were obviously plenty of positives to be recognised, but this was a far tighter game than the scoreline perhaps suggested. The difference between the two teams, in the end, was their ability to master the fine margins, to flourish in the moment.

Romelu Lukaku missed two one-on-ones, for instance; Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang did not waste his penalty. Bernd Leno produced several magnificent saves; David de Gea completely misread a fairly simple, although swerving, Granit Xhaka strike from distance.

And this ability to dominate the margins is something that Emery’s team has displayed throughout the season. During the 22-game unbeaten run to open the year, they were frequently conceding chances to the opposition and should have lost more games than they did. And yet, they were repeatedly able to grind out wins because of those crucial moments in matches.

Under Arsene Wenger, this was most certainly not the case, especially against the top six — they are, incidentally, matches that tend to be most impacted by the fine margins. How many games did Arsenal control, create little in, despite their dominance of the possession, and then stupidly concede against the counter-attack?

Unai Emery has somehow managed to make this team a master of the margins. They are proving it every week. And it was no more evident than on Sunday. This was a game that Arsenal won because of their mastering of the moment. That is a sign of an improved, champions’ mentality. Long may it continue.