It may be more than six years since Unai Emery left Arsenal but it’s hard to escape the feeling that the Spaniard still has an inexorable hold over his former club. Ever since Aston Villa ended a four-match losing streak against them with a 1-0 home win in December 2023, Emery has proved to be a thorn in Mikel Arteta’s side.
Villa’s 2-0 victory at the Emirates a few months later ultimately cost Arsenal the title as a relentless Manchester City took advantage by winning their last eight matches. Arsenal had an impressive 2-0 triumph in Birmingham at the start of last season, but Villa’s comeback from two goals down to draw 2-2 in January of this year was symptomatic of Arsenal’s failure to chase down Liverpool in the title race that never was.
