Henrikh Mkhitaryan: Unai Emery similar to ex-Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger

Arsenal attacker Henrikh Mkhitaryan has said that manager Unai Emery has a similar philosophy to that of former Gunners boss Arsene Wenger. The Spaniard took charge of the club during the summer following Wenger’s resignation and he has witnessed a tough start to the season with back-to-back losses against Manchester City and Chelsea.

Speaking to Sky Sports News, Mkhitaryan indicated that both Emery and Wenger are quite identical in terms of the tactics on the playing field, though the former has tried to balance things with emphasis also on the defensive side of the game, he said: “It’s not too different but there are different things because there is not people playing in the same way or thinking in the same way, the philosophy is different. Emery kept the philosophy of Wenger but is building something new on it. He knows he can give something different to this club, like the balance between attack and defence. It’s not easy but I think he’s doing it in the right way.”

With the arrival of Emery, the Gunners have gone through a unique method of playing through the back and this has certainly generated jitters among the club’s faithful with the team not accustomed to the system. Nevertheless, there have been positive signs further up the field with summer signing Mateo Guendouzi being one of the highlights and the team could go through an unbeaten run in the coming months with an easier set of fixtures hereafter.

The Gunners may have succumbed to back-to-back losses to start the season but their schedule from now remains relatively winnable with their next major outing coming against Liverpool only in November. Emery’s side will seek to grab their first points of the season this weekend when they entertain cross-town rivals West Ham United at the Emirates Stadium.