Unai Emery says he’s positive about his team’s chances of making the top four this season, but has challenged his players to try and recreate their impressive home form on the road.
The 2-0 win over Newcastle was our 10th successive home win in the Premier League, the first time we’ve done that since the 1997-98 season, but away we’re less effective. Considering five of our last seven games are away from the Emirates, an improvement would definitely increase our chances of securing Champions League football.
“When we were the last in the table [the ‘top six table’, we assume], I was positive,” said the Spaniard.
“It was difficult. Now, I am the same positive. It’s easier than when we were last in the table, but the opposition is going to demand us to get a lot of points at the end of the season and I am only going to think of the next match.
“Our challenge is away because we are going to play five matches away in the last seven matches. Our challenge is to be as consistent away as we are at home.”
And with intense competition it’s going to be difficult. However, what was a race between three teams for one place in the top four has now turned into a four-way battle for two spots thanks to Sp*rs recent form, and Emery is keen for his side to show togetherness and solidarity when the inevitable difficult moments arise.
“Our demands are very big demands, individually and collectively, and I want us in the difficult moments and in the good moments, to be together,” he continued.
“Football can change during the next matches and that can change. We need to be strong, first with a good mentality together and with each other helping us.
“After is to be calm because we know that now we are in front, for the third position, but we are going to play a lot of matches and also the opposition is going to demand us to get a lot of points because they are going to do that.”
Check out today’s Arseblog for reaction to the 2-0 win over Newcastle
Arsenal 2-0 Newcastle: Ramsey and Lacazette send Gunners into third
One game at a time is reasonable but at the same time I’d like to see a bit of consideration of upcoming games as there’s no real recovery time in the next month
Hope he prioritizes the PL
He is or haven’t you noticed?
@Blogs – He meant last in the table after our first 2 games.
Makes sense!
He’s quite right. While our home form has been good, we’re very inconsistent away from The Emirates. As five of the remaining seven games are away we have to improve – and quickly. We seem to find it difficult to grind out wins away from home, letting leads slip – such as in the game against the Spuds a few weeks ago. The teams who can grind out such results, sometimes when not playing very well, will get the most points from the remaining EPL games. Let’s hope that our players focus and do the job.
Bad officiating and a penalty miss by Auba were the reason we didn’t take the 3 points from Spurs. Our worst away game (excluding the Liverpool game) was probably the West Ham game. Against Spurs we played like the home team and maybe that’s because it was at Wembley. Anyway, I think if we can improve our mentality we can drastically improve our away form….it’s really only been the last couple of seasons that we’ve been terrible so the players mustn’t get into the mindset of assuming they will always be terrible away from home.
It was a shame that we missed that penalty – but that’s another example of getting it right when push comes to shove (which is where we are now at this stage of the season). The fact remains that after taking a relatively early lead in that key away game, we couldn’t/didn’t get all three points. A few more slips like that in the five remaining away games and we may not get a top four finish.
I am excited and nervous about our remaining matches and hoping we can put a great run together – you almost feel like the other teams in the battle for 3rd and 4th will not drop points (even though they probably will) but kinda worry about where we might drop points!!! However, I think the players are in the zone and chomping at the bit, so think they will get the job done ?
My gut feeling tells me that the pieces are falling together. The intensity and added grit the team is showing is different from the last seasons I watched. For sure Everton Watford and Wolves will be challenging as the Napoli games are in there but the changes are becoming evident. Lets not forget that Koscielny Xhaka and Auba (from the bench) were not in the starting lineup yesterday. I´m slowly becoming a believer
Er, it’s a belieber no?
Granit won’t be playing from the bench. Granit will be starting. Do not delude yourself. Ramsey and Guendouzi still misplaced way too many passes (You won’t see this on”By the Numbers”) Focus may be on Mustafi (bc some people do not base judgement on reality)but the midfield conceded way more poor passes. Granit will come back into the team and there is a reason why he has started ahead of Torreira even. We will need him to act as a deep lying playmaker. He has been much more resolute with the ball (the number of times Guendouzi fell or had… Read more »
I don’t care if Ramsey fucked up a pass or two he scored 2 goals yesterday and played really well
The notion of you criticising others for spouting their own narrative is hilarious.
Taken directly from ‘By the Numbers’:
[Guendouzi] turned the ball over 5 times, which is 2nd most behind Ramsey’s 6. Counting misplayed passes he gave the ball away just 12 times which tied for 6th most and well behind Sead Kolasinac’s 29 times.
OT: just watched the game. Amazing the number of bad passes Ramsey deliberately gives to Özil… Surprising from a so called Arsenal “legend”.
Well too many people tend to be easily stoked by the media or believe ready made narratives. They lay in on Mustafi. For sure he made some bad passes but so did Guendouzi and Ramsey in midfield. IN fact they misplaced passes way more than the German. nor was he the only one lunging in on tackles. Monreal received a yellow and arguably gave away a free kick in a more dangerous area but the media and some people can only bear focus on Mustafi. Sokratis made some equally dangerous hospital pass back to Leno but Mustafi is only mentioned.… Read more »
As for Rambo, I think rose tinted glasses are in effect. It will be a pity we can’t renew him but I think we saw in him coming off injured a reminder why maybe the club chose not to extend. That injury liability is a risk at 27yrs even if he is coming into peak. But if he is deemed a risk and should he come into a long lay off, that’s a lot of money to tie us up again for a player on the bench. Difficult decision. Where they got it wrong(Mslintat and more culpable in some sense… Read more »
The particular patch against Napoli BOTH legs and the Watford game packed in between will be the MOST critical.
Very tricky. We will need to be all guns firing.
Being efficient with our chances is key. We can still improve in this area.
I also want to challenge you Emery….to play Özil away from home more often….then you will also see better results and outcomes
During our long unbeaten run, we won away at Cardiff, Newcastle, Fulham, and Bournemouth, while drawing at United. The poor away form didn’t really take hold until the crazy festival schedule, which we always seem to struggle with as injuries pile up. I think with a healthy squad and more aggressive tactics, we should be able to do very well in this run in.
United just bottled against Wolves.
We need to be very wary of the Watford game in between the Naopli match up. They dismantled Fulham thoroughly (albeit its Fulham)
But first off Everton. Not in the best form but we need to win every league game from here on and we can.
Good focus against Newcastle and a clean sheet. Plenty of energetic off ball work. A bit more efficiency in front of goal will be key.