What Unai Emery told Arsenal's players in dressing room after Frankfurt defeat

Unai Emery gave no indication to Arsenal’s players that he is on the verge of being sacked following his side’s defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League on Thursday evening.

Arsenal’s hierarchy will now meet on Friday to discuss the Spaniard’s future after the 2-1 loss at home to Frankfurt made it seven games without a victory for the Gunners.

Freddie Ljungberg, who is already part of Arsenal’s first-team coaching staff, is being lined up as Emery’s replacement on an interim basis.

According to The Athletic, it is ‘increasingly likely’ that Emery will be sacked on Friday following Arsenal’s worst run of form since February 1992.

But the report claims that in the dressing room after the defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt, Emery urged his players to ‘forget’ about the loss because the Premier League fixture away to Norwich City on Sunday has ‘greater importance’.

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Arsenal remain top of Group F despite their defeat in the Europa League and beating Standard Liege in their final match on December 12 will ensure that they will progress as group winners.

But in the Premier League, Arsenal have gone five games without a win and are eight points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.

Speaking after his side’s latest defeat on Thursday evening, Emery acknowledged the criticism of Arsenal’s recent performances but remained focused on preparing for the game against Norwich on Sunday.

‘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,’ said the Spaniard.

‘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.

‘I am thinking first about analysing the game over 90 minutes. Today we improved some things, but it wasn’t enough.

‘Yes, 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.’