Arsenal manager Unai Emery has surpassed the expectations of many in his first season in charge of the north London club having helped the team to third position in the Premier League table after 31 games.
The Gunners have won 19 of their fixtures this term, drawing and losing six apiece, and with just seven games left, a top-four finish, and subsequently, a return to the Champions League is very possible.
Emery could only bring in five players during the summer transfer window, and has had to work with the squad former manager Arsene Wenger left.
Nevertheless, the Spaniard has made most of the players available to him.
Arsenal have improved significantly since his arrival, and their home form (14W, 2D, 1L) has particularly been outstanding.
Emery continues to demand more from his players, and that led him to initially drop Mesut Ozil from the starting XI.
The German has since played his way back into the lineup, though, putting in a man-of-the-match performance during the 2-0 victory over Newcastle United on Monday night, and Emery believes him and seven other players have improved since he took over.
“I think it’s very difficult to choose because we’ve 25 players. Always playing 11 and 18 in the squad and it is very difficult to choose. But each player can give us 10%, 15%, 20% better in his performance during the sessions – at the beginning and the end,” the Spaniard told COPA90 when asked which player has improved most this season.
“But for example, the young players can see then each year the improvement, maybe it is Lucas Torreira, Matteo (Guendouzi) – the first time in the Premier League and a difficult competition and they are improving I think.
“I think (Pierre-Emerick) Aubameyang is scoring goals as we want, (Alexandre) Lacazette is doing more, I think now Mesut (Ozil) now is working very well, but I want to create a team spirit and create a feel together when we’re winning and losing, and to be one strong group with this mentality. Maybe (Sead) Kolasinac is improving, (Alex) Iwobi also, Ainsley Maitland Niles also, he is taking little by little more confidence, he is strong. I think each player can help us with improving 10%, 15%, 20%.”
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