Arsenal Vs Watford: 5 things we learned – Unai Emery has questions to answer

2. Playing out from the back

Unai Emery is keen for his team to play out from the back. He has been from the very moment he stepped through the Emirates door. Even with an uncomfortable Petr Cech between the sticks, Emery still insisted that his team played out from deep areas, even when under pressure. And Arsenal played in that manner once again here.

Now, I have no problem with playing out from the back. The control it exerts is imperative in the modern game. But it must be done smartly, effectively, and with timing and cohesion. Arsenal lack almost all of these things, and their playing out from the back suffered greatly as a result. Tom Cleverly’s goal stemmed directly from an Arsenal goal kick, and it was far from the first time that they conceded chances from such situations.

I will not overly criticise Emery for implementing this tactic. It is a smart, long-term process to employ. But sometimes, playing accurate, long passes is no bad thing. Even Manchester City and Ederson go long when they need to. With two strikers, Arsenal needed to go long more frequently. They invited pressure, and it cost them.