Unai Emery might be coming in for a bit of criticism but his record at Arsenal in his first set of games was better than the media’s darling, Mauricio Pochettino, Jurgen Klopp, Maurizio Sarri, and Jose Mourinho, so how did it pan out over the season?
If you read the mainsteam media in the UK on a regular basis as I do then you won’t fail to have noticed that the tabloids, especially the Daily Mail, are in the midst of a sordid love affair with Mauricio Pochettino.
It is, they say, because of his talent and ability. It certainly isn’t because he wins things, that’s for sure.
The same media haven’t quite worked out what to make of the Arsenal head coach but it is obvious he won’t get the time and space afforded to the Spurs manager. This isn’t to hint at anti-Arsenal bias, rather to highlight, again, how Spurs seem to get more favourable treatment than any other club in the division – even Liverpool. The media even agreed they give Spurs less scrutiny than other sides.
After all, what other manager in the league could get away with admitting he sends his players out to cheat while claiming he doesn’t need trophies as the press hail him and Tottenham as a club others should emulate for doing something Arsenal did a decade ago?
Granted I gathered most of this and wrote it up before Spurs made the Champions League final. Still, they haven’t won it yet.
We're in January… pic.twitter.com/rakLYnlH7p
— Daily Cannon (@DailyCannon) January 29, 2019
The Daily Mail and Spurs pic.twitter.com/8pDfP2koOK
— Daily Cannon (@DailyCannon) January 27, 2019
Matt Law is Pochettino's Duncan Castles. pic.twitter.com/Z8rh9VRC6T
— Daily Cannon (@DailyCannon) January 8, 2019
Spurs don't have to win trophies, just FA Cup games against League Two sides, apparently pic.twitter.com/hHFLVtmVmX
— Daily Cannon (@DailyCannon) January 5, 2019
So, you might be surprised to learn that when it comes to the first 24 matches managed by most of the top managers in the Premier League upon their arrival, Unai Emery has started better than Pochettino, Maurizio Sarri, Jose Mourinho and Jurgen Klopp:
So how did he stack up across the rest of the season?
Unai Emery (Arsenal)
70 points.
5th.
Antonio Conte (Chelsea)
93 points.
Won league.
Pep Guardiola (Manchester City)
78 points.
3rd.
Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Had most of a season before his first full season.
76 points.
4th.
Mauricio Pochettino (Southampton)
Had half a season before his first full campaign with the Saints.
60 points.
7th.
(Tottenham)
64 points.
5th.
Jose Mourinho (Chelsea)
95 points.
Won league.
(Manchester United)
69 points.
6th
Arsene Wenger
Had most of a full season after he first arrived.
78 points.
Won league.