Unai Emery Says Arsenal 'Lost the Competitive Gene' Under Arsene Wenger

Unai Emery won't "promise titles" for Arsenal, but he has vowed to restore the competitive gene he feels predecessor Arsene Wenger lost.

Emery replaced Wenger last summer as something of a surprise choice after rumours had linked many others, including Manchester City assistant Mikel Arteta, with the vacant job.

The Spaniard has guided the Gunners into Wednesday's UEFA Europa League final against London rivals Chelsea, but he has identified being "competitive" as his priority over trophies.

Speaking to El Mundo (h/t Football.London's Tashan Deniran-Alleyne), Emery revealed what was asked of him when he interviewed for the job:

"I do not promise titles, I promise to compete. What Wenger did in this club was very big. He managed to give a touch of quality to make the game more fluid and colourful, but little by little he lost the competitive gene.

"That is what was transmitted to me and what I was hired for when I interviewed Raul Sanllehi and the owners.

"The economic potential of United, City or Liverpool is greater than ours, but by history, hobby and structure, Arsenal is among the top 10 clubs in Europe, and we have to place it there again."

Emery's reference to Arsenal's inferior budget compared to their Premier League rivals is telling. It's something Wenger dealt with for over a decade after Arsenal moved into the Emirates Stadium in 2006, a move incurring heavy debt.

The difficult reality for any Gunners manager is having to build a competitive team on a relative budget. Arsenal aren't likely to invest on the same scales of champions City, who spent £60 million on Riyad Mahrez last summer but still don't start him regularly.

Similarly, Arsenal will struggle to match outlay made by runners-up Liverpool in recent years. The Reds signed spent a world-record fee for a defender to sign Virgil van Dijk for £75 million in January 2018.

They followed it by spending huge sums on goalkeeper Alisson Becker and midfielders Naby Keita and Fabinho last summer.

By contrast, Emery faces the possibly of having as little as £40 million to spend this summer, per John Cross of the Daily Mirror. A lot will hinge on beating Chelsea in Baku and qualifying for the lucrative UEFA Champions League next season.

Emery will need Champions League money to help further his rebuild of a squad that's made minimal progress during his first year in charge. Although Arsenal have gone one better than Wenger's final season by reaching the Europa League final, Emery couldn't get the Gunners back into the top four domestically.

A fifth-placed finish was one higher and seven points better off than last season, but not the transformation many fans hoped for and expected after Wenger stepped down.

Wenger left after enduring intense criticism during his final few years in charge, despite some remarkable accomplishments during his tenure:

Emery pointing out how Wenger made things "more fluid and colourful" is a reference to the legacy the Frenchman left that stretches beyond the brass tacks of trophies.

Arsenal were transformed from a conservative team into one of the most stylish on the continent on Wenger's watch. His progressive tactics were the perfect match for natural flair players such as Dennis Bergkamp:

Emery hasn't had the same success encouraging enterprising and free-flowing football. He hasn't jelled with languid playmaker Mesut Ozil, the club's highest earner, and shown a greater willingness to adopt a cautious approach.

In fairness to Emery, he has coaxed more consistency from Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the two marquee strikers he inherited from Wenger.

Aubameyang has thrived, earning a share of the Premier League's Golden Boot, along with Liverpool duo Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, after netting 22 times.

Eight more goals in Europe have helped Arsenal reach Wednesday's final. Winning it would define Arsenal's first post-Wenger season as a success.

However, defeat would raise uncomfortable questions for Emery about how much improvement has actually been made since Wenger left. Confidence in Emery's ability to complete the necessary retooling of the team would also take a hit.

Emery needs to be careful about how he defines the requirements of his job. Simply being competitive won't pacify supporters for long, not when the fanbase has been clamouring for more ever since Arsenal last won the title in 2004.

He's been given a free pass this season by those who wanted change, but Emery will be expected to be a lot closer to City and Liverpool in 2020, as well as hopefully still involved at the Champions League level.