Tony Adams thinks axed Arsenal boss could've led Gunners to Premier League title

26 November 2023 , 15:22

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Tony Adams thinks Unai Emery would have done better than Mikel Arteta (Image: Robin Jones/Getty Images)

Arsenal could have held off Manchester City to win the Premier League last season had Unai Emery been in charge instead of Mikel Arteta, according to Tony Adams.

The Gunners led the league for 248 days last season before City came storming back to claim the title by five points. Arteta’s side played some excellent football but ran out of steam at the back end of the campaign as they failed to win a first title since the famous Invincibles side of 2003/04.

Arteta has been in place at Arsenal since December 2019 and has won 116 of his 200 games in charge. He replaced Emery, who was sacked following a poor start to the 2019/20 season which culminated in a seven-game winless streak.

Emery won 43 of his 78 games in charge of Arsenal and has shown his ability since taking the Aston Villa job in October 2022. The Spaniard has won four Europa League titles with Sevilla and Villarreal and won several trophies at Paris Saint-Germain and former Arsenal captain Adams thinks his experience would have been invaluable last season.

“Last year, weirdly if Unai Emery was our manager then we could have perhaps won the league,” he said on talkSPORT. “I know he didn’t stick around and following Arsene Wenger was difficult, a bit like George Graham being followed by Bruce Rioch. I think he missed a few bits last season to get us over the line.”

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Adams is a fan of Arteta, whose win percentage of 58 per cent at Arsenal is higher than Emery (55 per cent), but believes he should have changed up his starting XI more often in the run-in to keep players fresh. “I love him. I love his passion and enthusiasm,” he said. “I’ve always said he’s a little bit inexperienced and perhaps needs to draw on someone in his staff who is a little more experienced.

“I’m talking about going across the line last season. We all make mistakes and aren’t perfect. He perhaps didn’t rotate players early enough last season. People were running out of steam, like Bukayo Saka. I think he’s doing great.”

Unai Emery has enjoyed a brilliant run with Aston Villa (GEOFF CADDICK/AFP via Getty Images)

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Emery put his failure at Arsenal down to a few factors, including difficulties around the captaincy and the struggles of Nicolas Pepe following a £72m transfer. "I am clear about my diagnosis and we did good things there. I think we had a good first year, taking two competitions well as Europa League and Premier League," Emery told Marca a few months after being sacked.

"The process was good. When we played possession, we did it; when we had to press, we did it. And we were competitive, playing as the game required. With moments of possession game and moments of three quick touches.

"This second year, we have not played well. We have not defended well. We have not been competitive, we did not transmit – and I told the players myself. There were several problems: four captains; the Ozil-Kolasinac case; Pepe's signing, who needs time since he came from France. We didn't play well, that's for sure.”

Felix Keith