Evaluating Unai Emery’s first season with Arsenal
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Filling Arsene Wenger’s shoes was never going to be easy
Unai Emery’s first season as Arsenal manager was always going to be difficult. Succeeding Arsene Wenger after his 22-year reign at the club was seen as an almost impossible task.
Wenger won three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups in his time with Arsenal. He claimed the double in 1998 and 2002 and was at the helm when the ‘invincibles’ went unbeaten in the league for the duration of the 2003/4 season.
Following on from a club legend was never going to be easy; but was Unai Emery’s first season with The Gunners a success?
Arsenal finished the 2018/19 Premier League season in 5th place with 70 points. They were just one point behind bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur, which meant they missed out on the fourth and final Champions League spot.
Under Wenger, Arsenal only failed to qualify for the Champions League twice in 22 seasons. Their 5th place finish last year means they will be without a seat at Europe’s top table for the third consecutive year.
Their away form was largely to blame for their below par league finish. They only managed seven away wins all season, drawing 4 and losing 8 of their 19 games away from The Emirates.
Their home form was a lot better. They claimed 14 victories from 19 matches at home in the league, scoring 42 goals and conceding just 16 in the process.
This brilliant form at The Emirates helped Unai Emery claim a very respectable record. He has the most wins of any Arsenal manager in their first 50 games with the club. His side won 32 times in his first 50 games, compared to Arsene Wenger’s 23 wins in the same amount of time.
Emery won a remarkable three consecutive Europa League trophies with his former club Sevilla and his knowledge of the competition helped guide Arsenal to the final last season.
Although they lost to Chelsea in the final, they knocked out Napoli and Valencia along the way and proved that they can compete with some of Europe’s top clubs.
Ultimately, Unai Emery’s first season as Arsenal manager must be viewed as a success.
Despite finishing outside of the top four in the Premier League and losing the final of the Europa League, Emery has brought his own style and identity to the club and must be given time to bring in the players that he believes can move the club forward.
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