Arsenal Vs Vitoria SC: 5 things we learned – Nicolas Pepe papers over cracks

2. Unai Emery has some questions to answer

This was not a very good performance. Vitoria had more shots, more shots on target, forced more saves, were resolute defensively and rarely troubled throughout the match, and created the higher quality chances. In the end, they had 17 shots, five of which were on target. If you are wondering, that is not very good.

There are many reasons for Arsenal’s painfully unhinged performance. But one of the key ones is the role of Unai Emery and his tactics. Firstly, what formation was he playing in the first half? Does anyone know, because the players certainly did not? And then, even with a confused, nigh-on non-existent system, he used the wrong players in the wrong positions, again.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles was shipped all over the shop, Joe Willock is apparently an anchoring midfielder after playing as a number 10 just three days ago, hauled off at half-time for abject performances on both occasions, though that is very much not his fault, Gabriel Martinelli is a half-winger, half-striker, while Lucas Torreira was essentially played as a number 10 for the whole of the second half after showing little positional restraint and understanding in the first. Emery has some serious questions to answer, and I am not sure he can.