Former Arsenal manager Unai Emery pulled off a huge upset on Tuesday night as his Villarreal side held Bayern Munich to a 1-1 draw in Germany, booking their place in the Champions League semi-finals 2-1 on aggregate. It is the latest in a series of impressive feats achieved since he was sacked as Arsenal boss and replaced by Mikel Arteta.
Villarreal only found themselves in the Champions League this season after Emery led them to Europa League glory last season, the fourth time he had won the trophy. He even beat Arteta's side en route to the final against Manchester United and while he has gone deep into Europe again, Arsenal watch on.
Emery was brought to the Emirates Stadium as Arsene Wenger's replacement, a task that was always going to be incredibly tough. The Spaniard ultimately inherited an out-of-sorts squad and unfairly became a figure of ridicule in the process.
At the start of April, Emery allowed himself to reflect on his time at Arsenal during an interview with The Athletic and also gave his verdict on the current crop of Gunners. "They 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."
On the current Arsenal boss, however, Emery made an eye-catching comment: "Arteta is doing a good job, continuing what I began. He has had that patience from the fans, the patience they did not have with me. But I understand that."
After a slow start to his time in north London, Emery led Arsenal to 11 wins in a row, the club's longest streak since 2007. An unbeaten run extended to 22 games but further patchy form eventually led to his sacking 18 months after arriving.
