"They Didn’t Give Him Time to Finish the Job" - Former Arsenal Star Claims Unai Emery Could’ve done better than Mikel Arteta at Arsenal

Former Arsenal midfielder Denis Suarez has shared his thoughts on Unai Emery’s time at Arsenal, claiming the Spanish manager was not given a fair chance to succeed at the club. Suarez believes Emery could have achieved the same success as Mikel Arteta if he had been allowed more time and had a stronger squad.

In an interview with The Athletic, Suarez expressed his disappointment over Emery’s sacking, noting that the manager had personally pushed for his signing. He said:

“It was disappointing for me, but also for Unai. I know he was criticised for signing me because he requested me and rejected other options because he knew me. Unai is a top coach, and I think he was treated very unfairly at Arsenal.”

Suarez believes that Emery was in the process of building a new identity for Arsenal after Arsène Wenger’s long tenure. However, the lack of patience from the club and fans led to his premature exit. He added:

“When you change a coach that has been there for so long, you look for a new identity. I think Unai was creating one at the club. He took them to a Europa League final and finished in the top five, but they didn’t let him finish the job.”

Comparing Emery’s squad to Arteta’s current team, Suarez mentioned the difference in quality:

“It’s true that Arsenal are doing very well under Arteta, but it could have been the same with Unai. Plus, if you compare Arteta’s team with the one Unai had at Arsenal, it’s night and day. I’m not sure a single player from Unai’s side would make it into the line-up today.”

Suarez joined Arsenal on loan from Barcelona during Emery’s tenure but struggled to make an impact. He managed just six appearances for the Gunners, all under Emery, before returning to Spain. Despite his short stint, he remains supportive of Emery and credits the manager for his development during their time together at Sevilla.

Emery has previously spoken about his struggles at Arsenal, citing a lack of support from the club’s hierarchy. In a 2020 interview, he explained how he felt “alone” during his time in charge:

“At every club, I’ve been protected: Lorca, Almería, Valencia, PSG. At Sevilla, I had Monchi. At PSG, Nasser al-Khelaifi protected me in the dressing room and publicly. At Arsenal, they weren’t able to, maybe because they came from Wenger, who did everything. They’d say: ‘We’re with you,’ but in front of fans and the dressing room, they couldn’t protect me. Truth is, I felt alone.”

Despite the challenges, Emery managed 78 games for Arsenal, securing 43 wins and guiding the team to a Europa League final. The Gunners ultimately fell short, losing to Chelsea, but Emery’s contributions laid some groundwork for the club’s future success.

While Mikel Arteta has brought Arsenal back to competing at the top level, Suarez believes that Emery deserved more time and resources to prove his abilities.