Unai Emery has work to do as Arsenal mistakes just keep coming

New head coach Unai Emery has a huge task on his hands at Arsenal

Arsenal head coach Unai Emery has so much work to do as his side looked disorganised again in their 3-2 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

From the moment that the fixtures came out, the fears were there. Manchester City at home followed by Chelsea away was a daunting start but it did at least present Unai Emery with the chance to get his Arsenal reign off to a flyer. A win in either game would have provided some evidence that the change of coach could be the catalyst for a change of fortunes.

Instead, after the 3-2 defeat on Saturday, Emery has become the first Arsenal manager to lose his first two games in charge since Steve Burtenshaw was beaten three times in a row as caretaker manager in 1986. Arsene Wenger never lost the first two games of a Premier League season during his 22-year reign at the club. This was not the change envisaged.

But it cannot come as any great surprise to Arsenal supporters that they lost this game. The Gunners had been beaten in five of their previous six games at Stamford Bridge and the other was a goalless draw. In scoring twice during the first half, Emery's side actually scored as many goals at this ground as Arsenal had managed in those six earlier visits combined.

They created chances and lots of them. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang contrived to spoon the ball over the bar when it appeared easier to score and Henrikh Mkhitaryan ballooned a shot over soon after that was only marginally more difficult. Time and again they managed to find space in behind the Chelsea defence. They were well worth the two goals.

Chelsea pip Arsenal in thriller

Marcos Alonso's late goal gave Chelsea a 3-2 win over Arsenal in a frantic encounter in Maurizio Sarri's first competitive game at Stamford Bridge.

CONTINUE READING➤