Arsenal boss Unai Emery not resting on laurels

By Mark Mann-Bryans

Unai Emery is determined to keep looking ahead rather than dwell on the current eight-match winning run he is enjoying as Arsenal head coach.

After losing his first two matches at the helm, tricky Premier League clashes with reigning champions Manchester City and FA Cup holders Chelsea, the Spaniard has seen his side win every game.

That continued with a 3-0 victory over Qarabag in the Europa League on Thursday night, making it eight in a row for the Gunners.

The last time they achieved such a run under previous manager Arsene Wenger was in April 2015.

The current string of wins has taken Emery’s side to within four points of City and Liverpool at the top of the table and, with those two clubs meeting tomorrow, extending Arsenal’s run to nine games with victory over Fulham would close the gap.

And Emery is keen to look forward to the short trip to Craven Cottage instead of looking back on previous results.

“Usually I don’t look behind, every day I’m looking at the next matches — what’s in front,” he said.

“For me, whether we win or lose, every match is giving me a lot of information about how to improve. Every coach wants to win, but it’s not easy to do that.”

“For me the challenge is every day and every match — to look back to the last match is not good for us and not for me.

“My only focus is on Sunday against Fulham, to get three points to continue going up in the table.”

Somewhat surprisingly, Emery opted to take a strong squad to Azerbaijan for the meeting with Qarabag despite the near 5,000-mile round trip.

But he insists he is well-versed in playing in Europe — especially in the Europa League — having won the competition three seasons in a row while in charge of Sevilla.

Asked about the struggle of playing Thursday and Sunday, he replied: “Yes but the Premier League is very difficult. It’s the most difficult domestic competition in the world.

“The first six teams are playing each season a lot of matches in the Premier League, the cups and Europe.

“Every team wants to do the best performance in the Premier League because it’s the first competition for us and also in the cups and Europe.

“The top players want to play a lot of matches. I have experience too because I’m playing in Europe for the 12th consecutive season, six in the Champions League and six in the Europa League so my habit is also this.

“We are going to balance each matches physically with the players but these players are prepared to play Thursday and Sunday and then we have players to make changes for some matches. But if I decide to play a someone for three matches in a week, they are available to do that.”

One of the players to shine in Azerbaijan was teenager Emile Smith Rowe, who scored his first senior goal for the club.

An U17 World Cup winner with England last summer, Smith Rowe is pleased his gamble not go out on loan this season is being to pay off.

“It was a chance I took and I am happy I have taken it because now he (Emery) is really happy with me, he helps me a lot, and to get the chances I am getting now is crazy.

“Now I am really enjoying it. I was enjoying it before but I am getting chances and I am so grateful that the gaffer has faith in me. I just want to keep improving and keep getting minutes.”

Although he has made three appearances so far, Smith Rowe revealed he has yet to be welcomed into the first-team changing room at the club’s London Colney training base.

“I am not actually in the changing room at the training ground,” he said.

“But when I come to games, I look around and can’t believe I’m here. It is still surreal. I change separately, find out about 10 minutes before, just run over and train.”