Arsenal 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt: 5 Talking Points & Tactical Analysis | Europa League 2019/20

#1 Will Unai Emery live to tell the tale after 2019?

The pressure keeps mounting on Emery

For the uninitiated, Arsenal are a team testing the patience of its fan base while it also represents an outfit that sometimes defies common footballing logic and borders on tactical absurdity. And, while the debate surrounding the former might be better saved for another evening, a certain Unai Emery might be culpable for the latter aspect.

Akin to many a time this term, the Gunners were abysmal all across the pitch. Their attack looked toothless whereas their midfield lacked bite and conviction. And, the defence just turned in a performance epitomising the ailments plaguing the club.

More worryingly though, despite nudging ahead, Arsenal never seemed a side capable of building on that lead and taking the game to Frankfurt. A step forward was always followed by plenty of strides in the opposite direction as they ceded control inexplicably.

And, to cap off the farcical nature of their performance, Emery decided to indulge in a couple of questionable decisions.

Firstly, he opted to start Luiz in midfield, a decision that cost him a substitute when the Brazilian got injured. After the break, his team kept dropping deeper as Frankfurt turned the screw, meaning that the German outfit were allowed to generate a head of steam.

Most amusingly though, the Spaniard decided to throw on Lucas Torreira in place of the injured Shkodran Mustafi, with the Gunners 2-1 down and only 18 minutes remaining.

And, though replacing a defender with a midfielder might not be the most ludicrous substitution ever, it certainly flirted with that notion, in light of the predicament Arsenal found itself in.

Ever since the turn of the decade, the Gooners have longed for a manager that flexed his tactical muscles quite frequently. But, for their end of the bargain, they got one that has perhaps fiddled a tad too much over the past season and a half.

At times, Emery’s gambits have paid dividends but the growing veils of discontent among the faithful might mean that that particular aspect could prove to be his waterloo.

And, at this juncture, it seems extremely likely that he might not live long enough to tell the Arsenal tale in 2020.