I remember them being above mid table but after they beat Tottenham theyre now fourth and only 2 points off the top of the league. That means that if they didn’t lose to Nottingham forest or Everton they would be first. Ik they really haven’t had difficult match ups but it’s still very impressive.

  • BakedZnake@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    Take it OP didn’t watch Emery take a relegation battling side Villa in October to finish 7th last season?

  • niko_bellic2028@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    That’s Unai emery for you . Humble guy but godamn he knows his style of play and tactics . I never got the hate he received the first time he managed at Arsenal , mind you after Wenger the club was a shit show . Goes to Villareal and they are playing a CL semi final 2 years later . He is truly a modern Spanish great in terms of managers …just very low key doesn’t like to brag at all .

    • jrhunter89@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      Emery wasn’t given the time or transfers he wanted at Arsenal. He’s a great manager, his former players have said that. I’m pleased for him

    • improve-me-coder@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      This, if he would have got the same amount of spending money and scouting at Arsenal, he may not be fired back then.

      • PandiBong@alien.topB
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        1 year ago

        „May” is doing a lot of work there. It’s easy to forget just how bad arsenal looked under Emery.

        Yes Raul was a big problem but the players basically downed tools at one point. Didn’t we let Watford have like 40+ shots at us in one late Emery-era game?

      • inonjoey@alien.topB
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        1 year ago

        To an extent, this is true. Raul Sanllehi basically just got players he liked, not players that Emery wanted/needed. That said, Arsenal were an absolute mess on the pitch with Emery, even in his first year when we just missed out in Champions League. Emery was constantly changing formation and tactics to the point where the players clearly didn’t know what was going on. Combine that with the plan going forward appearing to be little more than get down the wings for crosses and cutbacks and the plan without the ball being crazy high line with little pressure on the ball and things were a proper mess. There still appears to be some of this in how his team’s play, as seen in the first half of this game where Spurs were constantly getting in behind (a fair number were offsides, but there were also some very good chances).

        Still, happy with Emery doing well and it’s cool to see what a squad built to his needs can do in the EPL. Also, they knocked Spurs back, so that’s cool.

          • inonjoey@alien.topB
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            1 year ago

            Yes, yes I do. I hope he learned how to handle players a bit better after his time at PSG and Arsenal. He seemed to constantly undermine his own authority with us.

    • NahTooPersonel@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      This was classic Emery. Used to happen in his first season at Arsenal. We’d have a terrible first half, he’d tinker, and we’d be better in the second.

      At first there was praise for adapting but that turned to discussion about why we were always “throwing away” the first half.

    • MarmiteSoldier@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      They scraped a win against a side with half their first team out injured or suspended. Spurs backline was four fullbacks 😂

      • MrDudi25@alien.topB
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        1 year ago

        lmao i like villa i’m not tryna be toxic. but you gotta admit that you lot had luck on your side to get 3 points out of that game

      • EmigmaticDork@alien.topB
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        1 year ago

        I don’t think that Villa players were fit yet. Plus they had to contend with those jerseys that made them look drenched. Sometimes it takes a few matches to get your legs under you, but it was weird to see an entire team there like that

        • NorskKiwi@alien.topB
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          1 year ago

          Both teams had a pre-season tournament in the states. Looked decent enough then.

          Part of the reason they smashed us is our whole left side was out injured except Mings, who got a season ending injury at the start of that game. No Monero, Ramsay, Buendia or Mings.

          • EmigmaticDork@alien.topB
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            1 year ago

            To be fair though, villa looked really tired in the second halves of those games in the states as well, at least the ones I watched.

    • MRudd-music@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      For me , they’re just beating the team they are supposed to beat. Easier said then done ofcourse, but all the teams they’ve beaten on paper it makes sense they’d beat especially with how good emery is and his system.

      The loss against Newcastle was bad and the Liverpool Loss was again, a poor showing. But those teams are just better.

      • Jinks87@alien.topB
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        1 year ago

        “Those teams are better” the same Newcastle that lost away at Bournemouth.

        Also lost to Brighton who we beat 6-1

        Are they also beating the teams they are supposed to then?