Arsenal Vs Eintracht Frankfurt: Unai Emery saving his job?

Arsenal head coach Unai Emery is under pressure as he edges nearer to the sack. Could his team selection against Eintracht Frankfurt reflect this?

Any individual would act in a manner to try and save their job. It is a natural reaction to being under pressure. If you think you might be sacked, and you don’t want to be, you take every decision to ensure that you keep your job. This is where Arsenal head coach Unai Emery currently finds himself.

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After just four league wins all season, one win in his last eight games in all competitions, Emery is under intense pressure, and the reports of the club looking to move on from the Spaniard are beginning to circle.

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It is said that he has only one or two games to save his job. Any misstep now will see his head roll, and even if he were to win every game this week, he might still his tenure in north London cut short. This desperate need to win and win now starts on Thursday night when Eintracht Frankfurt arrive at the Emirates for the fifth Europa League group-stage match. A draw will be enough to confirm qualification to the knockout stages, though a win would ensure topping the group.

Usually, Emery — and other managers, for that matter — would rotate heavily for this type of match. It is in a lesser competition against a team that reserve Arsenal team should have the capabilities to beat. Such rotation, then, offers rest to the true starters who will play in the Premier League at the weekend and opportunity to younger players who might not otherwise receive many senior minutes.

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But there is an inherent risk in such a team selection. These players are not as experienced and capable as the ones they are replacing. It is obvious to say, but Arsenal are more likely to lose against Frankfurt if they play a weaker team. And Emery, as we all know, cannot afford another defeat.

His selections might also be impacted by the Frankfurt performance in the return fixture. While the Gunners ran away with a 3-0 victory in the end, a young and inexperienced team was ripped to shreds in defensive areas and only kept a clean sheet thanks to an excellent Emiliano Martinez performance and some wayward finishing.

Do not be surprised to see a strong Arsenal team on Thursday night, then. Emile Smith Rowe, who might have been in line to start, played for the under-23s on Wednesday, already hinting that Emery wants to field a more experienced line-up.

This is a man looking to save his job. And when anyone is in that position, they will do all they can to protect themselves. For Emery, that means starting his best team, however detrimental to the club that may be.