Unai Emery sacked by Arsenal after miserable start to season

Arsenal have today announced that Unai Emery has been sacked as Gunners boss after 18 months at the helm.

The Spaniard had been under severe pressure in recent weeks after overseeing a torrid run of results for the Gunners.

A 2-1 home loss to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League on Thursday night left the team without a win in seven games in all competitions.

Speaking on behalf of the Arsenal board and our owners Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, Josh Kroenke said: “Our most sincere thanks go to Unai and his colleagues who were unrelenting in their efforts to get the club back to competing at the level we all expect and demand. We wish Unai and his team nothing but future success.”

Fans had been split on Emery for some time but recent results swayed many of them into thinking a change of manager was needed.

Many have not seen any improvement on the pitch since Arsene Wenger stood down despite the club giving his replacement time to build his squad.

A last-gasp draw at home to Southampton on Saturday left the Gunners in eighth place in the Premier League after 13 games, already eight points back fro the top four.

Chants of ‘we want Emery out’ and ‘sacked in the morning’ were heard at the Emirates after the disappointing draw with the Saints and fans have finally got their wish.

It remains to be seen who club bosses will earmark to replace Emery ahead of a tough festive fixture list to come.

Arsenal travel to Norwich City in the Premier League on Sunday before they play Brighton and West Ham in the space of 10 days.

A home game with champions Manchester City follows that before they face Everton at Goodison Park on December 21.

And it doesn’t get any easier before the turn of the year with games against Bournemouth, Chelsea, and Manchester United to come.

Arsenal released a statement, which read: “We announce today that the decision has been taken to part company with our head coach Unai Emery and his coaching team.

“The decision has been taken due to results and performances not being at the level required.
“We have asked Freddie Ljungberg to take responsibility for the first team as interim head coach. We have full confidence in Freddie to take us forward.

“The search for a new head coach is underway and we will make a further announcement when that process is complete.”

Speaking after his last game in charge of Arsenal last night, Emery was asked about whether he thinks he will lose his job.

He said: “I am thinking about the next match and analysing that match and the Europa League, and thinking about Sunday and how we can improve and achieve that confidence with the players.

“The players now are a little down in their feelings, but if we continue and can achieve a performance like the first half, I think that is the way.

“But my work and my job is to first analyse, analyse that match in 90 minutes and analyse also how we are in the Europa League and how we are also in our feelings and then prepare for the match on Sunday.

“I can understand the criticism about the team, about me. We are not in a good moment and also as a coach, I had that moment also in my career.”