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Arsenal travel to Villa Park as they look to extend their lead at the top against an Aston Villa side managed by Unai Emery, who was replaced by Mikel Arteta at the Emirates Stadium in 2019
Harry Brent Senior Sports Writer 08:00, 06 Dec 2025
Everything you need to know about Mikel Arteta replacing Unai Emery at Arsenal:
- Defensive Stability First: Mikel Arteta immediately prioritised defensive solidity, drastically reducing the goals conceded per game from 1.58 in the first half of the 2019/20 season under Unai Emery to 1.0 in the second half. This focus involved implementing a rigid structure and demanding far greater positional discipline, particularly from midfielders.
- Ousting Key Emery Signings: Several players central to Emery's plans were quickly moved on by Arteta to reset the culture, including Mesut Ozil, David Luiz and Nicolas Pepe. Most of these decisions proved fruitful; however, the sale of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez to Aston Villa did not.
- Promoting and Trusting Academy Stars: While Emery gave the likes of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli their debuts, Arteta immediately placed them at the heart of his starting XI and publicly backed their development. This commitment provided the young duo with the sustained confidence and platform they needed to become the talents they are today.
- Reintegrating Granit Xhaka: Under Emery, Granit Xhaka's relationship with the club and fans had reached a breaking point, but Arteta convinced the Swiss midfielder to stay and rebuilt his role. Xhaka became a vital, deep-lying playmaker in Arteta's initial system, demonstrating the manager's ability to rehabilitate key inherited players.
- The Set-Piece Revolution: Arteta hired specialist set-piece coach Nicolas Jover in 2021, a move that drastically transformed Arsenal's efficiency at both ends of the pitch. This highly strategic appointment immediately paid dividends, turning a previous weakness under Emery into one of the team's most potent attacking weapons.
- A Culture of Non-Negotiable Standards: Arteta enforced a strict code of conduct and high-performance standards, most notably leading to the departure of captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang due to disciplinary breaches. This defining move demonstrated Arteta's commitment to protecting the new cultural atmosphere over accommodating star players who could not meet his expectations.
- A New Defensive Recruitment Strategy: The manager launched a targeted recruitment drive for top-tier defenders who were both physically formidable and comfortable on the ball, directly contrasting with some of Emery's signings. Key additions like Gabriel Magalhaes, Ben White and William Saliba were brought in specifically to build a modern, high-pressing backline capable of being technical on the ball and tenacious off it.
- A Focus on Self: Arteta's early overhaul at the club included shifting pre-match preparation to focus primarily on his own team's structure and principles, rather than the opposition - as was often the case under Emery. It was a clear indication of his determination to embed a distinct playing philosophy - one that has since come to define the Gunners' identity.
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