Gunners fans don’t have a special memory of the year and some that Unai Emery was on the bench at Emirates Stadium. The Spanish had lon an almost suicidal mission to replace Arsène Wenger after 22 years and also inheriting a staff in full reconstruction. Naturally, it didn’t turn out the way both parties wanted.
The beginning was difficult to improve, with a streak of 22 unbeaten matches, but the results at the end of the season were disastrous, a single victory in five games left them on the verge of qualifying for the Champions League, being fifth one point behind the fourth. Emery also touched glory in the Europa League, losing the final to Chelsea. In November of his second year, after seven straight games without a victory, the Spaniard was finally dismissed.
Despite the bitter memory left by his time on the bench, Emery had great successes during his journey in London and one of them without a doubt is Bukayo Saka (19). The very young canterano has become the great hope gunner and a fundamental piece in Arteta’s scheme, mainly on the right wing although also on the left.
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In 24 Premier League games has five goals and three assists leaving a great feeling that has been worth debut for the England team last October. Emery it was the coach who made him debut against Ukraine’s Vorskla Poltava in the Europa League in November 2018, although it would not enter the dynamics of the team until the following season.
“When he started playing steadily you could see he was a great player. He is becoming a very important player and he is a very humble person. That is key because others footballers do not have the same humility as him, who always wants to learn and listen. Bukayo is incredible as a player and as a person and it could be said that he is also a very intelligent boy “, were the words that the coach dedicated to him in a interview with footballl.london last january, being already coach of Villarreal.
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When he reached the bench, Arteta continued Emery’s bet and the results could not have been better. How it collects Sky Sports, I say by far the best “teenager” (under 20 years) in the entire Premier League. The youth squad gunner leads almost all the statistics among players of his age: goals (five), assists (From), shots (53), opportunities created (27), touches in the rival area (117), dribbles achieved (36) and duels won (116).
A total domain that takes on greater importance considering that the Premier has another great teenager like Mason Greenwood or also Fabio Silva for which the Wolves paid $ 40 million last summer. But it is also that not only does he stand out among those of his age, but his importance is also evident at Arsenal, where he also leads the team in all of the above stats except goals and assists where it is third surpassed by Lacazette (10) and Aubameyang (9) and Willian (5) and Smith Rowe (4) respectively.
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Undoubtedly one of the great revelations and one of the names on which Arsenal wants to cement their return to the elite. A diamond that Maybe if it weren’t for Unai Emery I wouldn’t be shining with the outside that does and what is it without a doubt the best legacy left by the Spanish in London.
The anecdote of his debut
In the aforementioned interview with football.london Emery recalled Saka’s Premier League debut, a 4-1 victory that left a curious anecdote. Saka played ten minutes in which he did not touch the ball even once. “I remember when Bukayo first played a game with us in January. We beat Fulham 4-1 and he played when he was only 17 years old. He didn’t touch the ball once in ten minutes! Ran, ran and ran but didn’t hit the ball, it was amazing“.
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