Unai Emery has admitted that the criticism of his team after Monday night’s disappointing defeat at Sheffield United has hurt him.
Former Manchester United star Patrice Evra labelled Arsenal “babies” after the loss at Bramall Lane which dropped the Gunners to fifth in the table, and Emery faced criticism that his team were no better than when he took over from Arsene Wenger in the summer of 2018.
But the Spaniard, whose team could have risen to third place on Monday had they won, but tomorrow have the chance to bounce back against Vitoria Guimaraes in the Europa League, admitted that the barbs have stung.
The Arsenal head coach, whose team after Guimaraes face Crystal Palace at the Emirates, said: “Yes, the criticism hurt.
“Last year we lost 3-0 against Wolves, and in 30 minutes in that game we lost all our balance mentally.
“On Monday the first penalty we should have had was clear, the best chances were for us. If we had scored the match would have been different.
“We had chances to score and to draw at minimum, but we didn’t do it.
“Our response could have been better. But there was a good attitude, good mentality and we can improve individually and collectively. In this next match we have to show that improvement.
“In my career it’s normal to have in difficult moments and criticism for our work and my job. That is one point of view. The supporters’ opinions, we need to accept them.
“My focus for the next matches is thinking how we can improve and how we can, little by little, progress and achieve our immediate targets.
“We are at the beginning. In the Europa League we have won two matches and played very well.
“We lost a very big opportunity on Monday in the Premier League. We have to get better, but it is a process.
“The most important thing is our strategy. We are also using new players, young players, to give them chances. In that process I am happy. I am very confident in the players, in our work, in the strategy.”
