Unai Emery Says He Has Josh Kroenke's Support Amid Arsenal Struggles

Arsenal manager Unai Emery has played down his discussion with Josh Kroenke following Arsenal's 2-2 draw at home to Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday.

Emery met with Kroenke, club director and son of Gunners owner Stan Kroenke, but the Spaniard maintains he has the backing of the club's hierarchy despite recent struggles, per Football.London's James Benge:

"We are responsible, the club and I. We know our responsibility is to help everybody, and also when we are making some mistakes to recognise it. Sunday for example, after the match, Josh Kroenke was also in the dressing room speaking with me. We were speaking for 10 minutes about the situation but all the time helping each other.

"He's supporting me, he's supporting the players, we were talking about the circumstance with Granit Xhaka, saying that he was wrong and we need to manage that with him.

"And yesterday the same, it was the day off for us and the players but we were here also, I was here and also I was speaking with Raul, with Edu, and also speaking with Xhaka. But now preparing the match tomorrow is the most important, but also we need the time managing different situations."

Emery's reference to Xhaka involves the midfielder's testy exchange with home supporters who booed him when he was substituted late on against the Eagles. The London Evening Standard's James Olley described Xhaka's angry reaction to the jeers and how the club is attempting to handle it.

Sensitive handling of the fraught relationship between Xhaka and Arsenal fans, as well as the Switzerland international's place in the squad, is just one of the problems facing Emery amid a backdrop of mounting pressure.

The Spaniard is in his second season as Arsene Wenger's successor, but results remain mixed and performances drab. Emery failed to get the Gunners back into the UEFA Champions League last season, missing out on a place in the top four and losing 4-1 to London rivals Chelsea in the Europa League final.

Considering Emery's initial bar was simply to better Wenger's last season in charge, the worst of the Frenchman's near 22-year tenure, it's difficult to see where the club has progressed.

While results have barely improved, Arsenal have regressed significantly in terms of style of play. An expansive and attacking brand of football was a given on Wenger's watch, but the Gunners are decidedly workmanlike with Emery at the helm.

It hasn't helped that Emery has been willing to forgo creativity for industry. Playmakers Santi Cazorla, Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Alex Iwobi have all been allowed to leave since the former Sevilla and Paris Saint-Germain chief took over.

To make matters worse, Emery has consistently frozen out elegant but languid No. 10 Mesut Ozil. The club's highest earner has been omitted from six straight matchday squads amid an increasingly bitter player-coach relationship:

Emery appears ready to backtrack on his Ozil stance ahead of Arsenal's fourth-round tie away to Liverpool in the 2019 Carabao Cup on Wednesday:

Ozil's return could help foster the attractive football Gunners fans have been used to for over two decades. However, Emery still has a lot to do to convince his doubters he's the right man for the job.

Instead, speculation is likely to intensify about his position. The Athletic's David Ornstein (h/t Jake Polden of the Daily Mirror) reported Emery is under no threat of the sack, with Kroenke, head of football Raul Sanllehi and technical director Edu still believing in his stewardship.

Patience may not last, though, particularly if results and performances continue to be inconsistent. Emery is dealing with a squad that still needs key surgery in major areas, especially defence and midfield, while also trying to cope with a toxic response from the stands.

Sooner or later something will have to give unless Emery can quickly find solutions both in the dressing room and on the pitch.