Unai Emery Says 'I Am the Coach' in Response to Jose Mourinho, Arsenal Rumours

Unai Emery swatted aside a question about Jose Mourinho amid mounting speculation the former Chelsea and Manchester United boss will replace him as Arsenal's head coach.

Emery is under increasing pressure following Wednesday's tepid 1-1 draw with Vitoria Guimaraes in the UEFA Europa League. He spoke to reporters after the game and was asked if he's worried about the Mourinho speculation, per Football.London's James Benge, prompting the response, "I am the coach."

It was a succinct and emphatic response but it does beg the question for how long? Emery is still in charge despite a lengthy run of damaging results and worrying performances.

The sequence continued in Guimaraes, with Emery's team being dominated in the attacking third by the side sitting fifth in the Primeira Liga. Arsenal went in front thanks to Shkodran Mustafi's header in the 80th minute, only for Bruno Duarte to equalise in stoppage time.

It was no less than Guimaraes deserved, with the hosts producing 16 attempts, including four shots on target. By contrast, the Gunners mustered a mere seven shots with only one on target, per the tournament's official website.

Being outshot in matches has become a trend for Arsenal on Emery's watch, with events in Portugal following Sunday's fortunate 1-1 draw at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League:

Yielding this many chances is one reason why relinquishing a lead has become a debilitating pattern for the Gunners, both domestically and in Europe:

Another factor has been Arsenal's inability to add to early goals. A squad suddenly shorn of creativity has steadily become workmanlike instead of artful since Emery replaced Arsene Wenger in the dugout back in 2018.

The Gunners are struggling to manufacture clear-cut opportunities despite ample talent along the forward line. Alexandre Lacazette, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Gabriel Martinelli are a gifted trio of strikers, while club-record signing Nicolas Pepe is a natural match-winner from the flanks.

Yet supply to the forwards has been inconsistent since playmakers like Jack Wilshere, Santi Cazorla, Aaron Ramsey, Alex Iwobi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan moved on under Emery's watch.

A reluctance to start stylish No. 10 Mesut Ozil has also left Arsenal bereft of ideas and forward-thinking intent in possession. For some, Emery's response to the issue is baffling:

It's all a far cry from the expansive and attractive game that was an Arsenal hallmark during most of Wenger's 22 years in charge. Yet the erosion of the Gunners' style makes Mourinho a curious choice for the club, despite strong links in recent weeks.

A report from Duncan Castles of the Sunday Times (subscription required) described Mourinho dining with Arsenal's head of football relations Raul Sanllehi, with replacing Emery top of the agenda.

However, the report has since been denied by the north London club:

Many would question Mourinho's suitability for the role since he's usually been defined by a pragmatic approach to the game. His teams can be defensive, while the 56-year-old has often been reticent to trust young players, the antithesis of Arsenal's approach under Wenger, while Emery has also benefited from a deep crop of youthful talent, including Bukayo Saka, Joe Willock and Martinelli.

Aside from any philosophical tensions, Mourinho has often endured a testing relationship with many Gunners fans, based largely on his past and public feud with Wenger.

However, for all the reasons not to appoint Mourinho, there are factors in his favour. He's won consistently in England, helping Chelsea to three titles and lifting the Europa League and League Cup trophies with United.

Mourinho also enjoyed a productive relationship with Ozil when the pair spent three seasons together at Real Madrid:

A history of constructing stout defences could also help Mourinho shore up the Gunners' leaky unit. Emery has failed in this area, despite obvious attempts to make Arsenal less attack-minded.

Emery has also failed to coax consistency from his marquee forwards, but Mourinho's expertise in counter-attacking could provide the ideal framework for the pace of Aubameyang and Pepe.

Mourinho has been a divisive figure at every one of his managerial stops, while his heavy spending would test Arsenal's resources and traditional recruitment policies. Even so, those worried about how he would fit the Gunners' playing philosophy may conclude the foundations of the Wenger era are already a distant memory thanks to Emery's caution.

Either way, the latter's tenure is looking increasingly aimless and likely to be brought to a swift end.