Arsenal have made an underwhelming start to their new campaign after succumbing to back to back defeats against Manchester City and Chelsea respectively. However, Unai Emery’s players managed to earn a crucial victory at home against West Ham United last weekend even though their performance left a lot to be desired.
With a run of winnable fixtures coming up in the next few weeks for the Gunners, let’s shed some light on the new Arsenal boss’ performance so far. Here is a report card on how Emery has fared at the Emirates Stadium after gameweek 3 of this new Premier League campaign.
Coaching Philosophy – 6/10
The Spanish boss might have had only a few months with his players, yet we can slowly see the change of philosophy in the Gunners style of play. Emery wants his team to play out from the back but is not afraid to let the opposition have the ball and hit them in the counter as evidenced by the game against the Hammers.
Even against Manchester City and Chelsea, the Gunners were looking to build attacks from the back with Petr Cech at the heart of every build-up play. However, the Czech keeper has been susceptible to major errors in the back as his distribution is not the best. Hence, it could be a risky approach, but at least Emery is not afraid to take risks to fulfil his ambitions in the long-term.
Youth Development – 8/10
Emery is not afraid to trust his young players, and it was evident when an inexperienced player like Mattéo Guendouzi started all three of Arsenal’s matches so far. The French midfielder has improved with each game but had a forgetful day against the Hammers on Saturday. However, the early signs are promising, and maybe some of the club’s other young stars could get a chance under Emery if they can prove their worth in the coming months.
Tactics – 5/10
Both Pep Guardiola and Maurizio Sarri have tactically outclassed him so far. However, Emery got some success against Manuel Pellegrini’s West Ham, especially in the second half when he sanctioned some changes so that there was more tempo to the Gunners’ attack. The Spanish head coach needs time to prove his worth, but he has been both a hit and a miss as far as tactics are concerned.
Results – 5/10
Even the most optimistic Arsenal supporter knew that it would be difficult to come up with a result against Man City and Chelsea. However, at least the Gunners showed a lot of fight in their encounter at Stamford Bridge which gave them enough confidence to bounce back against West Ham in this past weekend.
Overall – 6/10
Emery needs time to prove his worth in the Premier League. So the Arsenal supporters and the board needs to be patient with him as the Spanish manager has what it takes to be a success at the Emirates Stadium. There have been some early signs of promise, but it would take some time for the North London club to be back amongst the best competing for major trophies.
