Arsenal Vs Bournemouth: Will Unai Emery learn?

Arsenal’s performances in the EFL Cup and Europa League stand in stark contrast to their Premier League showing. As Bournemouth come to the Emirates this Sunday afternoon, can Unai Emery learn from his past mistakes?

It is an equally sad and exciting prospect when your second XI is more enthralling to watch than your starting XI. But under Unai Emery this year, that is precisely where Arsenal are.

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In the past three lesser significant games — two Europa League matches and an EFL Cup match  — the Gunners have scored 12 goals, conceded none, and looked superior in all three, even with some defensive vulnerabilities in the first outing. Contrast that to their last three Premier League matches: a dour 1-1 draw with Manchester United; a fortunate 3-2 win over Aston Villa; a disastrous 2-2 draw with Watford in which they conceded a record 31 shots.

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And the stark contrast between the two teams extends far beyond just the surface-level results. The performances have been noticeably contrasting. The verve and vibrancy of the exuberant young players was difficult to see in the laboured, cumbersome Premier League iteration. There was a zip to Arsenal’s play, in and out of possession, in midweek; at the weekend, they lacked sharpness and speed.

If these two teams were to play against one another, playing as they have done over the last month, it is not clear which would win. And that, for a team chasing a top-four finish and qualification in the Champions League, is utterly calamitous. Something, then, must change, especially when it comes to the Premier League team.

And this comes down to Emery and his management. Can he recognise the differences between the two teams and implement the necessary changes in the apparent first team to close the gap? Will he reward the players who are impressing and producing, inserting them in place of the underperforming starters? And what about the starkly different attitude? Will change come there?

Here are the key differences that I have noticed between these two teams so far this season:

• Quicker passing out from the back
• Much more intense pressing
• Better movement off the ball
• Two contemporary full-backs
• A mobile, athletic, modern central midfield set-up

Starting with Bournemouth’s trip to the Emirates on Sunday afternoon, can Emery now replicate these encouraging tactical elements in his starting XI? This does not necessarily mean just changing players, although it could do. It is more of an attitude problem. The manner of the performances makes Arsenal look like two very different teams.

The Premier League performances have not been good enough. While those in the Europa League and EFL Cup have been excellent. So can Emery learn the lessons from the differing displays? I guess we will find out on Sunday.