Arsenal faces a challenging task against Aston Villa at Villa Park on Saturday, where Unai Emery’s team is just four points behind the Gunners in the Premier League standings. Ahead of the reunion, former Arsenal manager Unai Emery has sent a classy message to Arsenal star Bukayo Saka, whom he introduced to the Gunners’ first team.
Emery, who is now achieving success with Aston Villa, was the one who handed Saka his debut before Mikel Arteta took charge at the Emirates Stadium. Despite Emery’s departure from Arsenal, his impact on Saka’s development has not been forgotten. The last time Arsenal defeated Villa at their home ground was under Emery’s management in February, with a 4-2 victory.
Saka, now a pivotal player for both Arsenal and England, celebrated the fifth anniversary of his Arsenal debut and recently made his 200th appearance for the club. Emery acknowledges Saka’s remarkable progress, stating at a press conference, “His development was because he had very good coaches in the academy, and I helped him, and he’s developing a lot under Mikel Arteta. He’s a very good player and he’s a humble person, and I’m very happy for him as a player.”
Arsenal currently leads the Premier League table, and Saka will aim to make a difference once again when they face Villa. Although Emery will be the sole manager on the touchline, with Arteta watching from the stands, there is evident mutual respect between the two. Arteta refrains from judging Emery’s time at Arsenal and expresses admiration for Emery’s managerial prowess, having followed him since his time at Almeria. Arteta acknowledges Emery’s consistent success in various countries and different levels, expressing genuine happiness for his achievements.
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