Arsenal have made a few gaffes over the years in terms of getting rid of talented individuals way too soon.
The likes of Ismael Bennacer, Serge Gnabry and Yunus Musah are just three examples of this phenomenon in north London, but perhaps the most talented individual Arsenal ever ditched was Unai Emery.
The Spaniard is doing a remarkable job at Aston Villa right now after an underwhelming 18 months at Arsenal, but now, we’re being forced to rethink Emery’s time at Arsenal.
Speaking on the BBC Radio Five Live Football Daily Podcast, Chris Sutton has been discussing the perception of Emery at Arsenal, and he says that the incredible manager was unfairly treated at Arsenal, claiming that he became a laughing stock at the Emirates.
Emery was a laughing stock at Arsenal
Sutton spoke about Emery and the way he is viewed.
“He’s been incredible Emery. We forget, he was vilified at Arsenal the way he left there. He was viewed as a laughing stock. That’s not what I thought, I think he had a raw deal following Arsene Wenger in, but he’s gone to Villa with a point to prove and he’s worked wonders,” Sutton said.
MORE ARSENAL STORIES
Unfair
In hindsight, it really was unfair how Emery was treated at Arsenal.
The Spaniard is, quite clearly, a very talented manager, but he was entering what was basically an impossible situation as he was tasked with replacing Arsene Wenger at the Emirates.
Of course, other factors were at play here as the horrors of the Sven Mislintat recruitment era became obvious to all, and, looking back, it’s hard to truly blame Emery for his failures at Arsenal.
The reality is that this was the right man at the wrong time, and, in another world, Emery would still be at Arsenal and working wonders at the club.