Unai Emery’s first domestic season as Arsenal head coach has come to a close so what did we learn?

LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 02: Unai Emery, Manager of Arsenal gives instructions during the UEFA Europa League Semi Final First Leg match between Arsenal and Valencia at Emirates Stadium on May 02, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Nobody is really sure what Unai Emery is doing

Arsenal’s Spanish head coach Unai Emery gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal at Wembley Stadium in London, on March 2, 2019. (Photo by Daniel LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP)

Emery seemed to land with a very clear plan of how he wanted this side to play. Pressing, passion and intensity were the order of the day but he seemed to lose his way over the course of the season as he tinkered from game-to-game.

Arsenal aren’t good enough for the Champions League

I know the financial benefits of getting into the Champions League should give us the money to buy better players, therefore making us worthy of being in the Champions League but seriously….who really thinks we won’t end up losing 10-2 to Bayern Munich next season?

There’s less glory in the Europa League but I’ve enjoyed being one of the tournament’s favourites instead of the Champions League’s BATE Borisov.

Officials in the Premier League have a rare eyesight disorder that stops them seeing Alexandre Lacazette being fouled, especially in the box

Arsenal’s French striker Alexandre Lacazette (R) is fouled by Tottenham Hotspur’s Kenyan midfielder Victor Wanyama (C) during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal at Wembley Stadium in London, on March 2, 2019. (Photo by Daniel LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP)

I’m 43 and have been attending football matches with regularity since I was four-years-old. Admittedly, my memories from those early days are a bit sketchy, but I can’t remember ever seeing a player fouled in the box yet ignored as much as Alexandre Lacazette this season.

Tottenham are better than Arsenal

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS – MAY 08: Christian Eriksen of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates victory after the UEFA Champions League Semi Final second leg match between Ajax and Tottenham Hotspur at the Johan Cruyff Arena on May 08, 2019 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images )

It was easy to dismiss the first season they finished above us and the second but this year, what with that lot fluking their way to the Champions League final when they should have ent out in the group stages, it’s hard to deny that our noisy, trophyless neighbours are a better side.

That being said, they are still only one point ahead of us in the league and they are at the peak of their powers while we are the worst we’ve been for some time.

If you need tips on how to live in a world where Tottenham are better than Arsenal, we’ve got you covered.

Defensively, we suck (@ir2012)

LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 02: Shkodran Mustafi of Arsenal reacts during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal FC at Wembley Stadium on March 02, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

This isn’t exactly new information – we’ve sucked at the back for some time now – but it was hoped that a new manager and coaching set-up would rectify the problem. It hasn’t. If anything, it’s got worse.

Wenger was a problem but he certainly wasn’t the only one (@durrellb)

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 06: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says goodbye to the Arsenal fans after 22 years at the helm at the end of the Premier League match between Arsenal and Burnley at Emirates Stadium on May 6, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

(Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

When a manager has been at a club for as long as Arsene Wenger and has been allowed such total control, it’s easy to think that he is the sole reason for all your problems. While the more rational amongst us knew this wasn’t true, I think we still expected things to improve more than they have simply when he left.

Some other things we’ve learned from the people of Twitter:

https://twitter.com/AnshRavindra/status/1127514147275468800

https://twitter.com/GunnerArchitect/status/1127514024998993920

https://twitter.com/iPAINT_UK/status/1127512988913737730

https://twitter.com/afchamza/status/1127512503699890178

https://twitter.com/tsdempster/status/1127515263556050944

https://twitter.com/Raksharth/status/1127516320830902272

https://twitter.com/hoselrocketeer/status/1127517056944017408

12 things we’ve learned from Unai Emery’s first season at Arsenal