Unai Emery very ambitious ahead of Leicester City clash

Unai Emery aims for a clean sheet against high flying Leicester City.

Despite taking the lead late in the game, Arsenal still failed to keep a clean sheet against Vitoria this evening.

That was the sixth consecutive game in all competitions that Arsenal has failed to keep their opponents out.

Unai Emery insisted that the team set out to keep a clean sheet and it was unfortunate that they couldn’t hold on for the entire duration of the game.

Arsenal was even-stevens with their visitors until they took the lead from the unlikeliest of sources when Shkodran Mustafi opened the scoring on the 81st minute. However, the visitors made sure the spoils were shared with a goal in injury time.

Emery has now moved on and hopes to get a clean sheet in the Gunners’ game against Leicester City at the weekend.

He said “Our objective this evening was also to keep a clean sheet because we need to improve defensively and be strong in that moment. We are using each match to achieve that. We didn’t do that this evening against Vitoria, but we are going to take that challenge against Leicester.”

The Foxes are the league’s second top scorers. They have scored at least twice in four of five home games and won seven of their last eight games.

Arsenal has suffered losses on their last two visits to the King Power Stadium and a tough game awaits. There is nothing wrong with Emery being ambitious but a clean sheet against Leicester? That is a big ask.

20 Comments

  1. Wenger beat them at their turf with 3-4-2-1 formation, when they still had Kante and Mahrez. So Emery might opt to use three CBs in the back

    The problem is Leicester will have more midfielders than us, since they play with 4-3-3. They will dominate the ball possession, but we can win if we can utilize our wingbacks well

    1. Want Wenger back now?

      It is about controlling possession at the business end on their half, and forcing them to play counter attack. That is what Wenger meant when he tried attack as defense. Only Wenger did not have great players so he could not get to the final four.

      This current team is brimming with talent, but Wenger would have Koz along with a much better defender than those in the back line now.

      The players are not convinced by Emery ball. I think Emery will play Ozil in the middle, as desperation time has come.

      I hope it is a variation of 3-5-2 with Ozil in the middle of the 5 charged only with creating.

    2. @gotanidea
      I am still trying to be positive on Leceister game. Have watched their games very well.Emery needs players that can fight and try to press high but unfortunately he doesn’t. Leceister has midfielders that can score goals apart from Verdy.
      If Emery gets his selection and formating right he might be lucky.But I can’t just trust Emery’s intelligence. Brender Rogers is a very tactical coach and he knows the premier league well. We last beat Leceister when B.Rogers was not the coach.

    1. Yo! You guys should snap off it.
      The senseless mosquito (Emery) ain’t going nowhere this year.
      Don’t be surprise if you see him on the touch- line again after Sundays game.
      Whoop!.

  2. Good analysis by Martin Keown and Gilberto Silva on BTSport2. What Arsenal would give for two players of their quality this season.
    Mustafi is starting to show fight and performances to win his way back into the starting eleven.
    Arsenal can’t do it on a wet night in Portugal. Sure hope it’s dry in Leicester on Saturday.

    1. We couldn’t even do it on a sunny afternoon at Emirate and here you are hoping it will be auspicious day for us at Kingpower stadium on Sunday. I need some of your optimism

  3. Surely that should have said “Our objective this ebening” 😂 sorry, couldn’t resist!
    Right now, I’d say we haven’t got a hope in hell…

  4. Emery should play attacking football by playing Ozil behind Auba-Laca-Pepe. Attack is our best defence because we cannot defend against Leicester. We will have to outscore them.

    1. gunnerforlife: That is why we were told we bought Pepe. To be more attacking in our away games. Only for us to set up defensively and starve our forwards from service.

  5. Assuming that Emery is still the coach for the Leicester game, he should atleast do something creative and leave the attacking front four on the pitch.

    Auba as the frontman.
    Ozil in the left, Laca in the middle behind Auba, and Pepe on the right.
    Guendozi and Torreira as holding midfielders with a brief not to bomb forward, but instead to find the front four with accurate passes.
    Turnery, Luiz, Chambers, Bellerin
    Leno/Martinez.

    Atleast we can hope to give them a fight.

  6. Fellow supporters… Am sorry to tell you that NO single manager in the world can change us now for the better. For the following reason.

    Emery sold every little midfielders connected with arsenal, in the name of “removing deadwood”. Now we’re stuck with a midfield with absolutely no football brains and offers ZERO protection for the defence.

    If a new manager has the Xhakas, Guendouzis, Torreiras to choose from, he’s not going to change a thing.

    It will take another manager a good 2 to 3 years to buy midfielders of arsenal’s standard.

    1. mayert – true our midfield is not exactly our strong suit. However, Torreira is a decent DM who has either not started or been pushed further up the pitch and thus further away from his best position. A good manager could improve us by playing Toreirra in his preferred position and by changing our set up to a more aggressive one, in the process utilizing our only strong suit which is our forward line.

      I think the challenge for a new manager would be to get Torreira and Geundouzie to become a dependable pair. This would allow for a third creative midfield player to play just ahead of them. At the moment Torriera and Guendouzie have had no time to develop a good understanding.

      1. Am afraid but both of those guys you talk about are simply not comfortable with the ball.

        Imagine the talent we’ve lost in midfield over 2 years…

        Cazorla, Wilshere, Ramsey, Iwobi, Mkitaryan, Elneny

        Then compare them with they fools there….

        1. Mayert, it is reasonable to criticized Emery for selections, team set up and tactics as coach; however your criticism of Emery for the lack of talent in midfield is incorrect. How many of the names you mentioned did Emery sell, particularly given that transfers in and out are controlled by Raul Sanheili et al. Ramsey ran down his contract and left on a free to be a highly paid bench warmer at Juventus, Cazorla after being injured at the end of hid contract made the decision to return to Spain, Wiltshire had injury plagued final seasons and was allowed to go to West Ham, where he hasn’t played frequently and Mhikatarian is out on loan, after inconsistent performances at Manchester United and Arsenal. Elneny was slated by many on here as being not good enough and now he is suddenly a world beater. Iwobi and Chamberlain were sold by Arsenal for good transfer fees, with the money supposedly invested in Pepe.
          The issue with the midfield is the lack of size, physicality and aggression, which preceeds Emery and is yet to be addressed.

          1. “The issue with the midfield is the lack of size, physicality and aggression, which precedes Emery and is yet to be addressed.”
            You’re right on spot! Have you noticed how we hardly win aerial balls? Toreirra is not tall, Guendhouzi is still frail. Xhaka is a mediocre player that resorts to committing silly fouls to save face. We have no commanding character in the midfield. I challenge any manager to come get a better result with our midfield lineup. Much of the criticism of the defense has been unfair, they are mostly not protected and they tend to make mistake in the face of unabated pressure.

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