Ian Wright may be perplexed by Unai Emery but history shows that shock choices are not that unusual for ArsenalWell, that took a very sudden left turn. In keeping with the Arsenal tradition of appointing unexpected managers, it seems the board have lurched from favouring a 36-year-old former player who had never managed a game to a totally new face in the frame which provoked a stunned Ian Wright to query: “Where’s Unai Emery come from?” As a reaction it is not quite in the realms of Arsène Who? but it captures the mood of curious bewilderment. Related: Unai Emery’s in-tray: what is waiting for Arsenal’s new manager? | Amy Lawrence Related: Unai Emery set to be named as new...
The sun shone on the departing manager at Huddersfield and in the 22nd minute he received a standing ovation from the entire crowdThe final bow was a grand sweeping gesture, with the kind of flourish that would not look out of place on a Broadway stage. Arsène Wenger emerged for his last Premier League act, strode through a guard of honour, made a right turn towards the corner of Arsenal fans and when he arrived in front of them he bent that lean frame in acknowledgement of one hell of a story.Then he turned and skipped merrily back towards the dugout. Wenger is not renowned for his skipping. But everything feels different now. Fans who had not so long ago...
As the Arsenal manager takes his leave, writers for Arseblog tell Donald McRae, a fellow Gooner, about what it feels like to be losing such a key part of their lives after 22 yearsArsène Wenger’s head fell off and rolled across the glass table before plunging on to my living room floor. Last week, an hour after Arsenal had lost to Atlético Madrid, to ruin the fleeting dream of Wenger’s final match as manager being in the Europa League final, I had lifted up the old bobble-head and prepared to move it back to the window sill.As a family joke, and a worrying sign of my lifelong support of Arsenal, I had been given this wonderfully naff homage to the...
A wake is in store in Swansea, Klopp faced with a juggling act and a swansong for Conte and Benítez?Sign up now to The Fiver, our daily football emailThis feature, you will note, is called ‘10 Things to Look Out For’ rather than ‘10 Things to Look Forward To’. Thank goodness for that, because there might not be much to look forward to at the Liberty Stadium on Sunday. The match between Swansea and Stoke is likely to be a wake, with both clubs wondering how the hell they got into this mess. A number of players will be making their last appearance for both sides, seeing no contradiction in the belief that they are far too good to play...
Aubameyang can revive Arsenal, Butland lays bare Stoke’s shameful truth and West Ham would be foolish to ditch MoyesPierre-Emerick Aubameyang might not be a classic Arsène Wenger signing because he cost a lot of money and is already close to his peak but at 28 he is certainly a man who can lead the next incarnation of Arsenal. Alongside Alexandre Lacazette the duo showed how exciting Arsenal can still be even if Burnley looked like a team packed for their summer holidays as they made up the numbers, offering less energy than the post-match speeches, in what was effectively a testimonial at the Emirates. Wenger might rue the fact he missed bringing the Gabonese international Aubameyang to England earlier –...