‘Continuing what I began’: Unai Emery makes outrageous Arsenal claim

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Former Arsenal manager Unai Emery has claimed that Mikel Arteta is continuing the work the Spanish coach started at the club back in 2018.

In an interview with the Athletic, the Villarreal manager assumed that the 40-year-old Arsenal boss was carrying on the groundwork Emery set at the north London club, despite Arteta making efforts to rid of the players the former Gunners boss made during his tenure.

Whilst Emery did bring through the likes of Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe and signed Gabriel Martinelli and Kieran Tierney, though the transfer for the Brazilian was largely down to technical director Edu Gaspar, next-to-all of the players the La Liga manager signed for Arsenal are no longer at the club.

Of the nine players Emery signed for the Gunners, only four are currently still at the club, with Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi out on loan and Nicolas Pepe and Bernd Leno potentially leaving this summer.

Indeed, whilst Emery did do some good for the Gunners, there’s no denying that the north London side find themselves in a much better position than they do now under Arteta. Yet according to the Villarreal boss, the current Arsenal manager is continuing the work he established.

Emery said: “They [Arsenal and Arteta] have put together a group who are all going in the same direction, working together, showing respect. I knew that whoever began after Wenger, it was difficult for people to understand the changes that had to be made.”

Emery taking credit for Arteta’s work at Arsenal is outrageous

With Arteta taking making strides in the past few transfer windows to mark his authority on the Arsenal squad by offloading players brought in by former managers, to say Emery’s claim that the Basque coach is continuing his work is a slap in the face for the Gunners boss.

After all, Arsenal have never looked healthier to fight for a top-four spot than they do now under Arteta following impressive passages of change to the squad. And for Emery, his comments will only damage what little legacy the manager has in north London.