As Mikel Arteta’s staff began preparations for Saturday’s increasingly important Premier League clash at Aston Villa, they noticed elements that were profoundly different from Unai Emery’s time at Arsenal. Some were even markedly different to last season.
Emery is playing far higher up the pitch than he has ever done in his career. A sporting director at one major club was shocked by it, as it went against acres of analytics they had from the Spaniard’s previous teams. Even some of the Villa players were initially surprised, immediately sceptical given the risk of it. Emery, contrary to both perceptions of his coaching and his time at Arsenal, was more than willing to take that risk. His belief similarly meant the players were more than willing to buy in. They were soon fully sold as results immediately improved, and have gone on to reach new levels.
