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Unai Emery's tenure at Arsenal comes to an end after an 18-month spell in London. The club statement read, "We announce today that the decision has been taken to part company with our head coach Unai Emery and his coaching team." The Spaniard has had some memorable moments with the North Londoners, but overall, Unai Emery has been unconvincing and the sack was imminent after the home defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt.
There are a number of managers who would be willing to work at Arsenal, and though it's mid-season, Arsenal could find a world-class replacement to hold the fort in case Freddie Ljungberg, Arsenal's interim manager, fails to deliver. Rumours linking Nuno Espirito Santo and Carlo Ancelloti to the Emirates are doing their rounds, but Mauricio Pochettino can turn out to be a potential replacement as well.
The former Tottenham Hotspur manager was sacked two weeks ago as Jose Mourinho returned to management and took charge of the Lilywhites. Mauricio Pochettino is currently without a job, therefore the prospect of returning to London and working at a bigger club will certainly excite the Argentinian. These are the few reasons why Pochettino would be the right fit to replace Unai Emery at Arsenal and get the Gunners back on track.
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#3 Premier League-proven manager
Though the 47-year-old does not have any major trophies to show after his 5-year spell at Tottenham, the style of football he generated and the way he brought the fans together will still be fresh in the minds of Spurs' fans.
Mauricio Pochettino has studied the English top flight inside out and the consistency he has shown with Spurs won't be easy to replicate, as they always finished in the top four, despite not being a big-spending club.
Pochettino has an upper hand in a few things as compared to rest of the managers in the shortlist for the Arsenal job. His work in England has been massive, and his knowledge about the English league is arguably second to none. As Arsenal look to get into the top four, the board might look forward to hiring someone who would not take much time to adapt with the squad and to the league.
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#2 High-intensity, attacking football
Unai Emery's famous quote when he joined Arsenal last year read "I prefer to win 5-4 than 1-0" which had every fan hyped up for the new season. Although Emery stuck to the possession-based attacking philosophy of his in his first year at Arsenal, the Spaniard slowly and steadily switched back to defending deep and trying to see out one-goal leads against mid-table and low tier teams, especially this season.
Sooner rather than later, fans begun noticing it and Emery wasn't a fan favourite at Arsenal anymore. His conservative approach to away games baffled the fans and Emery showed no sign of changing his style. However, Pochettino does not have a record of trying to defend throughout the 90 mins.
The Argentinian plays a free-flowing brand of football and shows tactical flexibility when things go against his plans. Pochettino's high-pressing football is exactly what Arsenal fans have been crying out for, and he does have the quality to get Arsenal back to where they belong.
#1 Unfinished business in England
Mauricio Pochettino did not leave Spurs, he was sacked, which could mean that he could potentially take up the job at Arsenal because, at the end of the day, it's about whichever job is the better one. The fact that his family is settled in London makes it easier for him to decide if an offer from Arsenal does arrive.
However, for all his brilliant attacking football, Pochettino doesn't have a major trophy to show for, which is why he could potentially take up the chance to win one in England. Also considering that Arsenal have shown that they can splash the cash in the transfer market, Pochettino will have a board who would back him in the market.
Pochettino is someone who promotes youth, and he has developed plenty of players at Spurs. Players who have been coached under him have always praised his man-management skills, team talks and flexibility in decisions. Though the rumours are all about Arsenal targeting Nuno Espirito Santo and Massimiliano Allegri, Pochettino is an obvious choice who simply has to be considered for the job.
