Emery wants time to turn Arsenal into ‘best in world’
Unai Emery has called for patience from Arsenal fans as his plan to Arsenal into the “best club in the world” remains very much a long-term project.
The Premier League table certainly appears to bear this out as the Gunners are once again in danger of missing out on the Champions League, as they did in Arsene Wenger’s final season.
Arsenal take on Leicester at the King Power Stadium on Sunday lunchtime having dropped out of the top four thanks to unexpected reverses against Crystal Palace and Wolves, who both scored three times.
Emery is eyeing the Champions League place available to the winners of the Europa League, but so are Chelsea, who are currently one place and one point ahead in the Premier League and on paper have an easier semi-final draw in the knockout competition.
Arsenal’s defensive shortcomings have been ruthlessly exposed in the past two games, especially by Palace, but Emery was hopeful some slack would be cut by the supporters.
“We want to get with this club to point where we the best club in England and the world,” he said. “But it is a long process. Sometimes, like today, we need to talk about patience.
“We want to play in the Champions League but also we know our process needs to be with patience because there are another five very strong teams with very good players and very big performances.
“The Premier League is the most difficult championship in all the world. There is not another country with this difficulty to take the top four places and play in the Champions League. Maybe now in Spain, they have something similar – Valencia are struggling for the top four also. But here the biggest teams in the world play in one championship.” Arsenal host Valencia on Thursday in the first leg of the Europa League semi-final before playing their final home match of the domestic campaign on the Sunday, against Brighton.
The following week is even more gruelling as trip to Burnley follows the conclusion of the European tie with Valencia, who are one of his former clubs.
“We are playing a lot of matches.” Emery said. “Two competitions with less rest mentally and physically. But we want that. We want to be in these two competitions.”
Forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could return after missing Wednesday’s 3-1 loss at Wolves to have an operation on a sinus problem.
“It was not possible for him to miss the match against Valencia, or Brighton,” Emery said. “We also decided not to do it against Crystal Palace or Napoli. But the doctor said to do it as quickly as possible because he needed it done. We decided this match was the best in those weeks.”