Thursday, March 28, 2024

Emery: We can cope with busy schedule

Unai Emery says Arsenal are ready for their upcoming rush of fixtures and can take confidence from the fact they sit third in the Premier League even though his players flattered to deceive in their last game – the 1-0 win over Bournemouth.

Monday’s game at Sheffield United kicks off a run of seven games in 19 days for the Gunners and an opportunity to make headway on both domestic and European fronts.

Asked if his squad is ready for the challenges that lie ahead, the Spaniard said: “We have players, they are going to be playing seven matches in three weeks, they were playing with the national team also and a lot of players had two matches in five days.

“Our players – every player – is prepared to play a lot of matches and when we decided how we can do our squad for this season, we were thinking also to achieve and to have different players and two players in general for each position in the squad, for us to use them when we are taking some injuries or when we are playing a lot of matches, like we are going to play now.”

He added: “Now we are in the Premier League, the first and most important competition for us and we are third in the table. For Monday, it’s another big challenge for us to keep that position and we know that to keep that position we need to do a strong 90 minutes, looking for the best performance and keeping the three points for us.

“Really, every player is in this way. For example, the last match we played, against Bournemouth, we found in the second half in some moments that important three points we were playing for and some times we felt a little anxiety for that. But really, we were very happy to be finishing with the three points and we are also knowing that we can improve and we can manage better playing at home, playing away with our tactical issues on the pitch.

“The players finished the last match with some doubt because in the second half we didn’t finish like we wanted, controlling the match. That two weeks we were now with the international team break, I think has been very good to start again with that third position, for our confidence and knowing we can do better. But being competitive, I think we are getting better little-by-little and we are looking to play the best we possibly can with our tactical plan for each match.”

Emery also played down talk of where the club will finish in the league, insisting that it’s too early to be analysing the threat of other clubs. Instead, he called on his players to focus on the job at hand; beating the Blades on their own patch.

“Our target is on Monday and on Monday we are going to play for three points, away against Sheffield United,” he said.

“We have two teams in front of us and we have other teams behind us with only one point difference with some of them. On Monday, we will need to continue improving in our way and the most important thing is to win the three points. But also, to do one step ahead, improving the things that we will need for the next matches. Our challenge is on Monday because it’s the next game.”

Looking for a good omen ahead of Monday’s match? Arsenal have won their last seven Premier League matches in Yorkshire, the longest winning run by an away side in the county in top-flight history. We’ve also only lost once in our last 11 fixtures played on a Monday.

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C.B.

The injury list has come down massively and that has got to help a lot, especially with Holding, Bellerin and Tierney. Possibly even Ozil coming back into favour, let’s see.

Our league position flatters us a bit, but let’s hope we kick on from now.

Fatgooner

Bollocks. We should be looking to finish third. Spuds are in trouble an the Chavs and United are rubbish.

Monday’s trip to Yorkshire is actually a difficult game. Sheffield United gave Liverpool a very tough time and were very unlucky to get nothing out of that match. They will battle like hell and so I hope we are up got the fight. I hope we show up and fancy the tussle. If not it could be another embarrassing away day.

myrtle

Bollocks. Chelsea are serious contenders for third. They clearly have a plan in place and are ahead of us in every metric apart from points.

Rich

There’s not a lot between ourselves, Chelsea, Spurs and United, and in terms of first choice 11, Leicester are arguably on par, they have some very good players who’d walk into our first 11. Liverpool + City are clearly at different points in the cycle of their teams, in comparison to the chasing pack. This season was always going to be about trying to win the battle for 3rd/4th It’ll be a struggle with plenty of ups and downs, anyone who thinks we have a divine right to top4 based on the superior quality of our squad? Is absolutely delusional.… Read more »

loose_cannon

Nah I agree with C.B., we haven’t played great this season and are a bit lucky to be where we are. Same as last season really. Also Chelsea are hardly rubbish, they have teething problems at the back but will cause a lot of teams problems going forward. Were unlucky to lose to Liverpool as well, unlike us. Hopefully the players returning from injury will help us kick on now.

Goonerink

so utd and chelsea are crap, but sheffield arent?

Naked Cygan

Bullocks ??? and good ebening

Runzac

How can the league position flatter us? We have 15 points. Points tally never lies. Watford game really the only game where the outcome was totally off. We should be in second place.

Nobody

We’ve not actually looked too great in any of these games. Maybe second half against spurs. Cup games look better.

mrugunner

too much to expect a win with +1GD minimum?

Bob's Mexican Cousin

Hard to get one without the other 😉

goonero

How do you win without a +1 GD minimum?

Lesster

“For Monday, it’s another BIG challenge for us to KEEP that position”

Against Sheffield fucking United? I understand we need not to underestimate any opponent but no wonder there is some anxiety inside this team…

Bob's Mexican Cousin

He’s shat himself at Anfield, its reasonable to assume he’s not thrilled at the prospect of playing football at all. He likes press conferences and training, not the rest.

#EmeryOut

Samu

I feel the same, he says it about every ”small” team we play. Uncertainty before we left for international duty etc etc. Maybe his lack english leaves him to sound very blunt and not very soft or romantic with the right words?

Forest gooner

School boy level talk gaffer…

“We have two teams in front of us and we have other teams behind us with only one point difference with some of them. On Monday, we will need to continue improving in our way and the most important thing is to win the three points. But also, to do one step ahead, improving the things that we will need for the next matches. Our challenge is on Monday because it’s the next game.”

Dave M

What do you expect…?! It’s the same inane shite all managers are asked to waffle on about. “Lots of games, we have the depth, but we focus on the next game, every game is always a big challenge in the EPL, yada, yada, yada” he says the same rubbish as the rest of them, just in his own scrambling way…Wenger used to say similar things and get the same critiques. Other teams’ managers rattle off the same repetitive pre-determined stuff too. Bring on the footy…

Jack

This guy has got two hopes – Bob Hope and No Hope.

Merseya

I am Groot

Vis

What we can’t cope with is Xhaka !

Dave M

Emery’s primary concern right now is performing the mathematical calculations of how to maximise as many possible minutes for Xhaka in these 7 games as possible.

What I’m hoping for is a yellow card for Xhaka (as if he isn’t going to be picked) against SU this monday and he gets suspended then we crush Palace 5-0 in the next game and Willock-Douzi-Torreira play outstanding and each score a goal (along with Pepe and Laca) and Emery’s hand is forced (funny thing is I’m still not sure he wouldn’t just pick Xhaka in the next EPL game anyway).

MonkeyJoe

If we don’t win on Sunday then #EmeryOut should be sacked on the spot or there maybe riots. I will glue myself to TV as a protest and urge others to buy strong glue just in case. We are on the edge of extinction and only way to survive is to sack #EmeryOut. Peace.

Rich

Psychedelics are not toys to be played around with
#JustSayNo

Dave M

Spoken like someone that hasn’t played around with them ?

Ricky

Hey dipshit we play Mondee

Bob's Mexican Cousin

I can pretty much guarantee we won’t win on Sunday.

sAMa

Off Topic :
My lineup against Sheffield :
My EPL Formations/Lineups
Team1:
____________________Leno_______________
Bellerin______Chambers_____Sokratis_____Tierney
_________Torreira ____Xhaka ___Ceballos_______
___________Ozil_________
______________Pepe_______Aubamayang________

Substitutions: Martinez, Holding, Kolasinac, Guendouzi, Saka, Lakazette

Hantal

Push Ceballos forward and swap Guendouzi for xhaka

Naked Cygan

Take Xhaka out, we would do better with 10 men.

Cacho

Shouldn’t Holding be close to fully fit by now? With Chambers in form Sheffield feels like a good opportunity to try them as a partnership. Wouldn’t mind seeing a bit of Ozil & Ceballos linking up either which could be interesting

Hantal

Obviously a win is the most important thing on Monday night but I’d really like to see a performance from the ‘first team’ more than anything else

Naked Cygan

The days when we put on a show and smashed bottom & mid table clubs are long gone. These days we just scrap wins in the premier league. Not really sure what our style is anymore…

Santori

There’s no “first team”…there shouldn’t be anyway.

I’d just like to see a performance.

Don’t squander our good position right now.

Santori

Quite obviously we will need all squad members to perform to their best in order to rotate. There is NO zero sum game. No suggestion that certain players have to be automatic starters just as much as we should have a need for a variety of tactical approaches. 1)As much as Ozil is (inexplicably) detested by some, he is still a wonderful asset to have as Emery points out and a lot of this so called ‘ill feeling between the two” is frankly manufactured by sites such as this. Sure he does not deserve to start at the moment and… Read more »

Santori

This is going to be a critical period where we can cement our position in the top 4 or fall away again. Hope we can find the right level between rotation and some semblance of familiarity within the core group. Certainly good to have as many assets back as possible. One player I am concern with (Not Ozil) is Pepe. We spent a fair amount of dosh on him. And he is being shown up by a precocious 17yr old in Saka. Nelson is (temporarily) carrying a knock. Laca fortunately back soon so there is option for Auba wide (not… Read more »

Santori

Still utmost concern for our imperfect options at Cback.

Maybe a good chance to try Holding with Sokratis. Less than convinced with sideshowbob even if he did have a good match last game.

Nico

*narrator’s voice* they couldn’t

Maul Person

I do worry a little when I see stats / milestones… they tend not to work out in our favour. Here’s hoping this isn’t one of those occasions. #coyg

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