Arsenal needed fresh start after Wenger: Emery

MADRID: Arsenal manager Unai Emery has claimed the club needed a breath of fresh air after 22 years of Arsene Wenger and that he took over a team in decline.

Former PSG coach Emery has enjoyed an encouraging first few months as Wenger’s successor, with Arsenal currently unbeaten in 16 matches and buoyed by impressive performances against Liverpool, Fulham and Leicester.

They remain three points adrift of the Premier League’s top four but Emery appears to have injected energy into a team that was stagnating under Wenger.“Nowadays it’s very difficult for a coach to stay 22 years,” Emery said in an interview with Spanish sports daily Marca on Thursday.

“We had to rearrange the furniture, and not because of anything bad that happened previously, but to stimulate everyone again — to shake things up, sweep under the carpets, open the windows — in a positive way.”

Emery has made changes defensively, deploying a higher and more aggressive pressing game that has been adopted surprisingly quickly by his players. “What I want is to unite both aspects and be more competitive. Arsenal was in decline. We had to stop that and start climbing.”

Emery said he has met Wenger once since being appointed his replacement and while he “has a lot of respect” for his predecessor, he insists changes had to be made. “I have said to myself it is a positive thing, but it can also be negative, that you are too heavy, want to interfere with the players a lot,” Emery said.

“What I do is work. I analyse matches and then I transfer it to video and I teach the players.”Arsenal travel to Bournemouth on Sunday, hoping to break a run of three consecutive draws in all competitions.