EPL: Arsenal sack Unai Emery after 18 months in charge

English Premier League club Arsenal has sacked their manager Unai Emery after 18 months in charge. Unai Emery, who previously led French club Paris St-Germain to the league title and won three Europa Leagues with Spanish club Sevilla, was appointed Gunners boss in May 2018, succeeding Arsene Wenger. Frenchman Arsene Wenger stayed at the club for two decades.

Arsenal board has decided to relieve Emery from his duties after a dismal show of performance in the ongoing English league and the group stages of Europa League. Emery has been replaced on a temporary basis by the assistant and former Arsenal midfielder and legend Freddie Ljungberg.

The decision came after Arsenal lost at home in a Europa League group stage match against Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1.

Arsenal in an official statement said that the “decision has been taken due to results and performances not being at the level required.”

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,” read the club statement.

Newly appointed Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho, reacting on the new developments said that,

I’m sad about it (Emery’s sacking), but that’s life.” Mourinho says he has no doubt Unai Emery will get another ‘big job’ in football after being sacked. 

Unai Emery’s first season as Arsenal boss ended in a disappointment. His team missed the Champions League spot after they managed to secure just 1 win in the last 5 matches of the previous season. Although they went on to reach the Europa League finals where they eventually lost 4-1 to league rivals Chelsea.

In the ongoing EPL season, Arsenal stand on the 8th position of the table, registering just 4 wins in 13 matches. Arsenal last won an EPL game on October 6, when they defeated Bournemouth 1-0. Following that, Arsenal have faced league defeats to Sheffield United and Leicester City apart from playing out draws against Crystal Palace, Wolverhampton Wolves and Southampton.

Leave a Reply