His passion is in no doubt, but what the Spanish manager wants on the pitch is often still opaque. A vibrant display against Spurs might make things a bit clearerUnai Emery’s touchline exhortations can make an exhausting watch and the person behind Arsenal’s “bench cam” for their opening match at Newcastle certainly got through an honest day’s work. The viral clip that resulted, of Emery punching his fists in the air when the young midfielder Joe Willock sprinted back to recover possession, was viewed almost three million times on Instagram and the club plan a similar montage of the manager’s touchline activity after Sunday’s north London derby.There is no denying the appeal: if everything goes to plan then supporters can...
Cahill shows his worth to Palace, Lacazette proves Emery’s odd one out again and Wilson could be the signing of the seasonIt will not end the culture war between Newcastle fans and Mike Ashley, but victory at the Tottenham Stadium might just lift a few suspicions over Steve Bruce. In the first half, Newcastle were the team with greater vigour, and Joelinton’s finish for his goal followed a fine pass from Christian Atsu. Bruce does not enjoy comparisons with Rafa Benítez, but players such as Atsu, Miguel Almirón and Sean Longstaff might just be allowed greater freedom to express themselves under his supervision than they were within the Spaniard’s rigid tactics. Having taken the lead, plenty of last-ditch defending was...
The only two sides to win both Premier League games so far meet on Saturday at Anfield, where Arsenal have a terrible recent record they can only improve onBurnley should feel flattered. After giving their usual feisty performance at the Emirates last weekend and slipping to the inevitable narrow defeat, Sokratis Papastathopoulos suggested Arsenal’s next game against the league leaders might be slightly easier.Theoretically that should see Arsenal’s fans travelling to Merseyside on Saturday in good spirits, though don’t bank on it. If Liverpool are easier to defend against than Sean Dyche’s bottom-half battlers you would never guess it from Arsenal’s recent results at Anfield. Last season the Gunners lost 5-1. The season before that it was 4-0 to Liverpool,...
Ljungberg and Trossard make instant impact, Wilson has Liverpool quality and Rodgers leaves ‘young Frank’ on back footThe inclusion of Joe Willock and Reiss Nelson against Burnley a week after they became the first pair of teenagers to start a Premier League game for Arsenal since Paolo Vernazza and Matthew Upson in 1998, was more evidence of Unai Emery beginning to trust his young players. That may have something to do with the promotion of the former under-23s coach Freddie Ljungberg to become the Spaniard’s assistant, with Willock particularly impressive alongside Matteo Guendouzi in midfield. The 19-year-old played in a more advanced role in the opening day win over Newcastle and shows how Emery is tapping into the former Sweden...
The £72m record signing’s arrival off the bench was of potentially far greater significance for the Gunners than the 1-0 victory over Newcastle UnitedA substitute appearance lasting 20 minutes plus injury time and 10 largely unremarkable touches may not seem like much, but in them were encapsulated Arsenal’s reasons for optimism. In time, Nicolas Pépé will script his own narrative and will be judged on those terms but, for now, his value is largely symbolic. The £72m record signing is the totem for this new age for Arsenal. His arrival from the bench was greeted with huge roar from the Arsenal fans gathered high in the Leazes End and his presence was enough to transform an essentially workaday Arsenal win...