Unai Emery Talks Long-Term Arsenal Plans, Premier League Top 4 Ambitions

Unai Emery has said he believes he has the backing to undertake a long-term project at Arsenal, having succeeded Arsene Wenger in May.

The Spaniard's tenure at the Emirates Stadium started in impressive fashion as he masterminded a 22-match uneaten run in all competitions between August and December, while summer signings Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi looked to have breathed fresh life into the Arsenal midfield.

But now Emery is enduring his first low spell in north London, with the Gunners six points off the Premier League's top four after a run of just two wins in six in the English top flight.

He also has an injury crisis, seems at a loss with what to do with Mesut Ozil and is set to lose Aaron Ramsey for free in the summer:

Despite Arsenal's issues, though, Emery told Nick Wright of Sky Sports in an interview published on Wednesday that he believes he will be given time to make his methods work:

"After my experiences in Spain, in Russia and in France, I believe that here, people see football in a very distinct way. As well as the teams being more competitive and tougher, I believe the fans feel football from the heart. The question of whether you win, lose or draw is very important, but there is always a respect towards football beyond just the result.

"That means you can do a more progressive job, a job based on building from the bottom without only thinking about results, because sometimes, a result can hide solid foundations. As a manager, I have always put myself under the pressure of the necessity to win. You know that winning will allow you to either continue what you’re doing or to find another project. And you know that if you lose, they will take the project you already have away from you.

"But at Arsenal, it's maybe the first time I feel that I have the support to build up from the bottom in order to get where we want to be. It allows us to work more for the long-term – or at least, 'long-term' in football terms. It supports the kind of work we want to do at this club."

Emery has previously been in charge of Valencia, Spartak Moscow, Sevilla and Paris Saint-Germain.

Arsenal had become stale under Wenger in the Frenchman's final few years in charge, and they have not been title contenders for some time now.

Emery is currently faring a little better than Wenger was at the same stage in 2017-18, but Arsenal's defence is in desperate need of improvement:

One of the key concerns for the Gunners at the moment is the improvement of Manchester United.

When Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was appointed interim manager of the Red Devils last month, Arsenal had an eight-point lead over the Manchester giants.

Now, the two clubs are tied on points and are effectively in a three-horse race with Chelsea for the final UEFA Champions League spot, although Tottenham Hotspur could also be dragged into it:

Emery told Wright that Champions League qualification is the team's "main objective" and that he believes it is achievable, but it will be vital his side beat Chelsea when they meet at the Emirates on Saturday.