LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 12: Unai Emery, Manager of Arsenal gestures as Stephan Lichtsteiner of Arsenal prepares to take a throw during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Manchester City at Emirates Stadium on August 12, 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Arsenal: Unai Emery will start playing ugly football to get wins
It’s a new era for Arsenal, and it could be one which sees their philosophy thrown away.
While it’s always hard to take away sentimentality, Arsenal may need to dispose of their possession-based approach. Unai Emery has learned a lot from his opening games in charge, and this is something he has picked up on. The Arsenal players aren’t comfortable in possession, and they’re much more able to play on the front-foot.
While the old style of ‘lumping the ball forward’ can be perceived as negative, if it’s the only way Arsenal can get wins on the board, then it’s the opposite of negative. Unai Emery had some things to say on his style of football and how that can all change…
“I will do what it needs to win matches. Others might not like it but we are in the win business. I prefer to play the game as it should be played, but you also have to adapt.” – Unai Emery (via Mirror)
Unai Emery doesn’t have a particular ‘style’, so to speak. His approach to games is often based on his research of the opposite number. He comes up against Cardiff today, which may have persuaded him to adopt a new method. The Welsh club can be renowned for tormenting their opponents, although they do it in a respectable manner.
There won’t be much time for fancy passing. It’s a hard pill to swallow but Emery is aware of it, and I’m sure his approach in this match will be an interesting one based on his comments.
While I don’t think Arsenal will kick off the match by hoofing the ball forward to Aubameyang, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a more direct style of football. If they can get the runners in behind, then they have the creativity to pull off the passes.
The likes of Mesut Ozil, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Granit Xhaka can act as the main creators, while Aaron Ramsey and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will run in behind. These five players are all excellent at their jobs, so this could be an easy route to success for the Gunners.
Do you think Arsenal will prevail against Cardiff, and how will they approach the match?
