Connect with us

Sports

Thierry Henry’s ‘Genius’ Unai Emery Verdict Re-Emerges After Aston Villa 2-1 Arsenal

Published

on


Unai Emery continues to back up Thierry Henry‘s claim over his Arsenal tenure after guiding Aston Villa to a sensational 2-1 win over his former employers.

The Spanish coach spent 18 months in charge of the Gunners but failed to get his ideas across and he was sacked after the club’s worst run of results since 1992. His reputation took a knock after that spell in the Emirates dugout but a return to Spain saw him deliver the Europa League trophy at Villarreal and Villa came calling in November 2022.

Emery has written his name in the West Midlands outfit’s history books, taking the Villans to the UEFA Champions League last season. But he oversaw perhaps the best win of his reign thus far on Saturday when his men beat Mikel Arteta‘s league leaders and ended their 18-game unbeaten run in the process.

Aston Villa 2-1 Arsenal – Henry Claim Over Emery Resurfaces

White Black Modern Photo Collage Before After Youtube Thumbnail - 2025-12-06T213928.354

The win over Arsenal means Villa are now just three points behind them, and as much as Emery is playing it down, they are certainly in with a shout to pull off a remarkable title win. He has become one of the most highly-admired tacticians in the Premier League.

Most Gunners fans were relieved to see the back of Emery, but have dreaded facing him during his time at Villa Park. He’s now overseen four wins in eight meetings with Arteta’s North Londoners, losing just two, and his side is on an eight-game winning streak in the league.

Henry wasn’t one of those connected to the league leaders who were happy to see the Spaniard leave. He called him a “genius” last season and argued that he would eventually have been a success if given more time.

The club’s iconic former striker told CBS Sports: “He’s a tactical genius. He always goes out there and makes sure that his team has an advantage tactically because that’s how he operates.”

He added:

“We all know what he did in Spain [winning the Europa League four times with Sevilla and Villarreal]. It’s no disrespect to what Mikel Arteta is doing and he’s doing extremely well for Arsenal, but I just thought that if we kept him a bit longer he would have been a success at Arsenal.”

Emery was dismissed with Arsenal sitting eighth in the league table after 13 games in the 2019-20 season. He oversaw 43 wins in 78 games during his reign in North London, but the club pulled the plug amid a dismal run of form.

Villa were in a dire position when he took over, staring at a possible relegation scrap in 16th place in the 2022-23 campaign. But he quickly transformed the Villans, guiding them from the bottom half of the table and into European contention.

Is Emery Better Than Arteta?

White Black Modern Photo Collage Before After Youtube Thumbnail - 2025-12-06T205232.201

Arteta has been a wonderful appointment for Arsenal since replacing Emery in December 2019, and while he only has an FA Cup to show in the trophy cabinet, his work in propelling the Gunners back into consistent title challengers has been superb. You could argue that his side are currently the best in Europe, certainly from a defensive standpoint.

But Emery’s success at Villa is more impressive given the circumstances: arriving at a club facing the threat of relegation and completely turning things around. He hasn’t had the transfer war chest handed to his Spanish counterpart at the Emirates, and instead has shown he’s a master at getting the best out of players who may need a confidence boost.

Marcus Rashford came back into form under his tutelage after joining on loan from Manchester United in January, with his career at a crossroads. He swooped for Marco Asensio on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, and the Spanish attacker couldn’t get a game in Paris but became a star man at Villa Park.

“What he’s done to every team has been always remarkable. He always improves the players, the team, the club and he’s Basque, like I am, and he’s a manager that I really admire for what he’s done in the game. He’s done it in various countries in different levels and always been successful” – Arteta on Emery (via Arsenal’s website)

White Black Modern Photo Collage Before After Youtube Thumbnail - 2025-12-06T205410.668

Arteta and Emery are in different phases of their managerial careers but if the Arsenal boss misses out on a major trophy this season it raises question marks over his ability to guide teams over the finish line. That’s something his compatriot has done previously, albeit in the Europa League, but Villa’s Champions League qualification was arguably the equivalent of a Gunners title win.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sports

Newcastle ‘Front of the Queue’ to Sign Johan Manzambi

Published

on

By


Newcastle United are ready to step up their interest in a number of transfer targets, and they have been told they are at ‘the front of the queue’ for one target.

The Magpies are set for a major rebuild of their squad during the summer transfer window after selling Anthony Gordon to Barcelona for £70m, while Sandro Tonali has joined Tottenham Hotspur in a deal worth a total of £100m including add-ons.

Eddie Howe has already moved to sign Bazoumana Toure as Gordon’s replacement on the wing, and now the Toon are ready to accelerate their move for a new midfielder.

Newcastle ‘Front of the Queue’ for Manzambi

Johan Manzambi celebrates with Swiss teammate Granit Xhaka
Johan Manzambi celebrates with Swiss teammate Granit Xhaka

According to the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope, Newcastle United have been told that they are ‘at the front of the queue’ to sign midfielder Johan Manzambi this summer.

Manzambi, who has been described as ‘incredible’, has been one of the breakout stars of this summer’s World Cup while featuring for Switzerland in a midfield role, and Howe has identified him as someone he wants as part of his squad for next season.

Initial talks have been held between the clubs, and while they haven’t progressed as some reports have suggested, there is confidence that a deal can be struck to take the 20-year-old to St James’ Park.

It’s understood that Freiburg’s demands are not a huge hurdle for Newcastle, but there is still some scepticism following the situation with Victor Munoz earlier in the window, where they had a deal agreed only for Liverpool to swoop in and hijack it at the 11th hour.

Man Utd are among the clubs who have a long-standing interest in the player, but the Magpies believe a deal can be completed and are planning to send a formal bid imminently.

World Cup History Quiz

You scored

out of 20

Manzambi The Perfect Profile for Newcastle

Eddie Howe

Howe has made it his trademark to have a team that is high intensity, high energy, and full of players who will run until they drop. The most successful midfield of his career has been combining the strengths of Tonali, Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes in recent years.

Tonali is now gone, and Joelinton’s form is not what it once was, so adding Manzambi to the team shows great initiative to target a young star ready to explode, but also adds someone who fits the manager’s style immediately.

It’s the type of signing that could convince captain Bruno to stick around amid interest from Arsenal, and could help to accelerate their return to the Champions League.


Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe after losing to West Ham United.


Alongside Toure: Newcastle Eyeing Move to Sign ‘Elite’ £87m Forward

Newcastle are keen on the forward.

Continue Reading

Sports

Man Utd Move to Sign Ederson Collapses

Published

on

By


Manchester United’s move to sign Atalanta star Ederson has collapsed, according to insider Djameel.

The Red Devils had agreed a deal with the Serie A club worth £38m including add-ons for the Brazil international, who is representing his nation at the World Cup this summer.

Ederson had agreed a five-year deal at Old Trafford, and was expected to complete a medical and the formalities of his contract once the World Cup was over later this month. However, it has now been claimed that a deal has fallen through.

Ederson Will Not Sign for Man Utd

Ederson in action for Atalanta

According to a report on X by Djameel, who is followed by reliable journalists Fabrizio Romano and Santi Aouna and has previous for breaking stories, the deal has now collapsed despite an agreement on all fronts.

It’s stated that Ederson will not be signing for Manchester United anymore, in a huge blow for the Red Devils, who have already missed out on a number of midfield targets in the current window.

United had made Elliot Anderson their top target for the window, but the England star has since joined local rivals Man City from Nottingham Forest in a record £116m deal.

The club were also keen on a deal for Portuguese midfielder Mateus Fernandes from West Ham, but they were gazumped by Tottenham Hotspur, who agreed to pay a fixed fee of £85m for the 21-year-old despite him being relegated to the Championship.

World Cup History Quiz

You scored

out of 20

Man Utd Pivoting Strategy?

Michael Carrick Manchester United manager (2026) via Reuters

GIVEMESPORT correspondent Sam Cohen reports that Man Utd’s official line is that they still intend to go ahead with the deal, but should they change their mind then it could point towards a change of strategy.

The club had been keen to add up to three midfielders to their squad this summer following Casemiro’s departure and Manuel Ugarte’s serious knee injury, but having missed out on a number of targets, they may have to pivot and find a way to bring in less midfielders for the same money, with the market demanding bigger fees.

For now, United say the deal is still on, but it’s something to keep a very close eye on in the coming weeks.


Man Utd manager Michael Carrick looks on vs Leeds


Man Utd Eyeing £87m Deal to Sign ‘Deadly’ Brazil Forward Alongside Ederson

Man Utd are eyeing a deal for Ederson’s Brazil teammate.

Continue Reading

Sports

Man Utd Eyeing £87m Deal to Sign Brazil Star Rayan

Published

on

By


Manchester United have already got an agreement in place to sign Atalanta midfielder Ederson this summer, but now they are eyeing up his Brazil teammate.

The Red Devils have made upgrading their midfield a priority in the transfer window, but a new forward and left-back have also been shortlisted if the budget can stretch that far, while the goalkeeper department is set for an overhaul too, with Altay Bayindir expected to move on.

The winger position is expected to be one that the club keep a close eye on, depending on what happens with the future of Marcus Rashford following the World Cup, and it has now emerged that they are closely monitoring a Brazilian sensation.

Man Utd Eyeing Rayan Deal

Rayan Brazil (Bournemouth) celebrates against Japan at the 2026 World Cup Action Images/REUTERS/Annegret Hilse

According to AS journalist Edu Burgos, Man Utd are among the clubs showing a very strong interest in Bournemouth star Rayan.

The Brazil winger, who has been described as ‘deadly’, joined the Cherries in the January transfer window for £35m and excelled immediately as Antoine Semenyo’s replacement, netting five goals and registering two assists in 15 appearances.

Those performances earned him a place in Carlo Ancelotti’s World Cup squad, and he has started on the right-wing ahead of Neymar, Luiz Henrique, and Gabriel Martinelli since Raphinha suffered an injury in the win over Haiti.

His performances have seen United hold internal discussions about making a move for his services, although Bournemouth are adamant that he will spend the 2026/27 season at the Vitality Stadium.

However, the 19-year-old has a €100m (£87m) release clause in his contract that becomes active in the summer of 2027, and it now seems inevitable that he could be on the move next summer at the very latest.

World Cup History Quiz

You scored

out of 20

Man Utd Could Skip the Queue With Big Rayan Bid

Rayan

Rayan is someone who has had eyes on him since he was tearing it up in Brazil, and it was somewhat a surprise when Bournemouth won the race for his signature in January.

But with his performances showing he is ready for the top level, a number of clubs are circling and waiting in anticipation for that release clause to come into effect.

Man Utd could skip the queue by making a mega offer this summer and getting a deal done early, but it won’t be easy to convince Bournemouth to sell early. It’s one to keep an eye on as the summer goes on, regardless of how unlikely it seems at this stage.


Michael Carrick


David Ornstein: Man Utd Open Talks to Sign ‘World-Class’ Chelsea Star

Man Utd eyeing midfield reinforcements.

Continue Reading

Trending