New Arsenal boss Unai Emery relishing Man City challenge

By Mark Mann-Bryans

Unai Emery is relishing the challenge of beginning his Arsenal tenure against reigning Premier League champions Manchester City today.

Pep Guardiola’s side visit the Emirates Stadium for Emery’s first competitive game as Arsenal’s head coach.

The 46-year-old replaced Arsene Wenger in May and, with a trip to Chelsea six days later, Emery could not have wished for a more difficult start to life in England.

But he is ready for the challenge — even if he is aware of the threat posed by last season’s runaway champions.

“We want to start well, we want to play and we want to show our quality, our work in this month tactically and with our spirit,” he said.

“I want to show and to be together with the supporters and to start a new way, a new process. With the same players and also our new players with us, and with a new culture and new staff.”

Emery risked the early wrath of the Arsenal supporters as he suggested majority shareholder Stan Kroenke’s move to take complete control of the club is a positive thing.

Many fans were unhappy with the news that Kroenke is on the verge of buying out Alisher Usmanov, with the Arsenal Supporters Trust labelling the news as a “dreadful day” for the club.

“I met the Kroenke family in Atlanta and he gave us his commitment in this project with Arsenal,” said Emery.

“For me, it’s positive and his commitment is for me, to Arsenal, the most important.”

Pep Guardiola is looking forward to locking horns with the new Arsenal boss, lauding his fellow Spaniard’s achievements in his homeland.

“(Emery) is an excellent manager. What he achieved with Sevilla, winning three Europa Leagues in a row — it’s good for the Premier League.”

Emery wasn’t involved in the transfer market on Deadline Day having completed his business early in the window. And he insists England forward Danny Welbeck will not be sold.

Although the Premier League transfer window closed on Thursday evening, European clubs can buy players from England until the end of August.

Welbeck, 27, had been linked with a move away from the Emirates Stadium with the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan ahead of him in the pecking order.

Valencia are one club to have reportedly shown an interest in the former Manchester United man - who was part of Gareth Southgate’s squad which reached to World Cup semi-finals in Russia.

Emery explained that Welbeck will not be involved in tomorrow’s opener following his exploits with England at the World Cup in Russia, but insists only three players will be allowed to depart over the course of the month, and Welbeck is not one of them.

“We only have three players — Carl Jenkinson, David Ospina, and Joel Campbell — with the possibility to leave. But the other players are with us and we are going to work in the Emirates the day before the match with all the players.”

“We are excited,” he added.

“We have a lot of ambition to start well on Sunday against the last winners of the Premier League. Also, I think that it’s a big and great match that we can play to start this season.

“It’s more easy to speak here than to do it on the pitch. City, I think, after two years of working with Guardiola they have more stability, more security and when you watch City’s matches, they are playing with a very, very great confidence in themselves.

“Also, I think that Guardiola’s coaching is clear in this team. For that, we are working this week and preparing for this game and preparing for the opposition against City as a collective and as individual players.

“Above all, it’s about confidence in ourselves to play the best match on Sunday. We are to think only to win the match.”

Arsenal take on City without injured defensive duo Laurent Koscielny and Sead Kolasinac, while Aaron Ramsey will be hoping to be fit to take his place in midfield.