Football news – Unai Emery at Arsenal: Will defeat at Leicester be the final straw?
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Updated 06/11/2019 at 19:04 GMT
Arsenal have been ahead in their past four matches but failed to win a single one of them. Could defeat at Leicester on Saturday end Unai Emery’s reign at the club?
Unai Emery, Arsenal head coach
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A 1-1 draw at Vitoria Guimaraes on Wednesday saw Arsenal’s perfect start in the Europa League group stages come to an end.
The Gunners remain top with 10 points in Group F, and could even qualify for the knockout stages if Eintracht Frankfurt beat Standard Liege on Thursday.
However, the manner of the draw – whereby Bruno Duarte’s injury-time acrobatics cancelled out Shkodran Mustafi’s opener – has heaped the pressure on Emery.
Mustafi’s header was their only shot on target, and despite the Gunners enjoying 65% of possession it was the hosts who had 15 shots to Arsenal’s seven.
Arsenal’s four-game winless run
The 1-1 draw in Portugal comes on the back of a winless fortnight for Arsenal.
After beating Vitoria 3-2 at home on October 24, Arsenal threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at home to Crystal Palace on October 27.
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Unai Emery the Arsenal Head Coach talks to his players before the penalty shoot out during the Carabao Cup match between Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield on October 30, 2019
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Last Wednesday, Arsenal then lost an extraordinary League Cup encounter with Liverpool on penalties after drawing 5-5 – having led 3-1 and then 5-4 going into injury time.
A 1-1 draw at home to Wolves on Saturday further incensed the fans, not only because it has left them six points behind fourth-placed Chelsea in the Premier League, but because Emery said “tactically it worked how we wanted”.
Losing leads
Emery worked around questions about Arsenal’s inability to hold leads when facing reporters after the Vitoria draw.
“In this competition our objective is to be first in the group,” he said.
“We are going to play the next two matches to make sure we’re in that position. Now we’re going to prepare for a new competition.
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Unai Emery
Image credit: Eurosport
“We worked, we played, fighting against a team with strong organisation.
It’s a little disappointing for that result, but we’re first in the group, we want to make sure of that position in the next matches.
Keown: Problems all over the pitch
Speaking on BT Sport, former Arsenal defender Martin Keown did not hold back on Arsenal’s problems.
"There are problems all over the pitch. It can quickly be turned around. If I was involved in the weekend I'd go on the attack because we can't defend,” he said.
"We are in danger of losing some of the identity of the team built under Arsene Wenger. We cannot defend and have lost that attacking flavour.
I think it's a personal thing of how you mark up in set-pieces. There are huge gaps. All they did was put a ball in and run through the hole, they could put a double-decker bus through that! It's too simple. It's basic decision-making and they need to change.
Leicester defeat and out for Emery?
Leicester are flying high in the Premier League and will go into Saturday’s match at home to Arsenal as favourites.
Under Brendan Rodgers, the Foxes are flourishing – scoring at will while also boasting the joint-best defence in the Premier League.
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Jamie Vardy of Leicester City celebrates after scoring his sides ninth goal with James Maddison, Youri Tielemans and Demarai Gray during the Premier League match against Southampton at St Mary's Stadium on October 25, 2019.
Image credit: Getty Images
Currently third, Leicester are in control of their own Champions League destiny, while Arsenal must fight back if they are to avoid a third straight season in the Europa League.
Whether that comes under Emery remains to be seen, but with Jose Mourinho reportedly waiting in the wings, defeat at Leicester will only add to the #EmeryOut momentum.
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