Arteta sends a Strong Message to Emery as Arsenal gear up for tough trip to Villa
Prior to their crucial match at Villa Park, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has lauded former Gunners manager Unai Emery.
The entire football world will be watching with bated breath on Saturday teamtime in the west Midlands when
Premier League table toppers take on Emery’s Aston Villa.
Despite his disappointing stint in North London, Emery, a Basque gentleman, has been hard at work since leaving in November 2019 to restore his career.
Villa has gone from fighting relegation to playing in the UEFA Europa League since Unai Emery took there, but Mikel, another Basque manager, is not surprised by his success.
Arteta remarked, “I’ve followed him since he was in Almeria, and it’s always amazing what he’s done to every team.
” In addition to being Basque, like me, he consistently enhances the players, the team, and the club.
As a manager, I greatly respect what he has accomplished in the field.
I’m quite thrilled for him since he’s accomplished this at different levels in different countries and has always been successful.
“I think he’s the most experienced and the most successful [of Basque managers] by quite a long distance for everything that he has achieved in the game, and what he’s won. So obviously I admire him yes.”
The 52-year-old Emery won the Europa League with La Liga minnows Villarreal, beating Arsenal in the semi-final prior to easing past Manchester United in the showpiece final at the end of lockdown two seasons ago.
Arteta was Full of Praise for his Managerial Colleague and Fell
“Huge credit to them, huge credit to Unai and the coaching staff for what they’ve done,” Mikel Arteta said in his pre-match press conference on Friday.
“They’ve turned things around, the way they play, they’re going to be a really tough opponent.
It’s a great place to go, one of my favourite grounds, a very English ground and a great atmosphere to play football in, so it’s going to be a big chance for us.
“It shows the quality of the league. Last year there were others and it shows the competitiveness and difficulty to be up there but they fully merit where they are.”
All eyes are on Villa Park on Saturday evening as we look to stay at the top of the Premier League table against third-placed Aston Villa.
After defeating Pep Guardiola’s team 1-0 on Wednesday, Emery’s team, who have already amassed 32 points from 15 games this season, are now two points ahead of Manchester City.
“Tactically they are really well set up, they do two or three different things, and they are really brave to play from the back,” Arteta stated in reference to Villa’s thrilling victory over moneybags City.
They have players in open spaces who are always frightening you, and they have players between the lines who can really damage you, so they really attack you.
“But not only that, the mindset they’ve established, the environment, the fervour, and the confidence they currently possess that they can defeat anybody.”
Leave a Reply