Following the defeats to Manchester City and Chelsea to start off his career at Arsenal - losses that many expected - Unai Emery is now shifting to ensure that his side take lessons learned from those matches and gaining maximum points from the next handful of games. Leading up to Saturday’s match at home versus West Ham, Emery greeted the press and provided updates to many topics hand, including the following below:
Regarding the injury status of Laurent Koscielny:
He’s working very hard. First he was in France. He came back to us last Sunday. We are happy to have him here with us, because he’s our captain and he’s showing us his spirit to stay with us. We need to be patient with him because the injury was an important injury. It’s clear that it’s very important to stay with us, working here and showing us that he wants to help us.
If he plans on playing two forwards up front, and what type of formation we might see:
At the moment, no. At the moment, I think we need to have the control with the possession, with the positioning on the pitch, with more players inside. And after this possession, to do the attacking moments and defending moments with this balance. But, it is one possibility to continue in our progress and in one moment to try also to play with two scorers. In the last match of the pre-season, against Lazio, I did it with Lacazette and Nketiah. But also, this position also for the players, they know that in one moment we can do that. But at the moment, no.
On Jack Wilshere’s return to Arsenal:
I spoke with him for 15 minutes here in Colney before he left. The first thing for me is I have respect for his career here. And then, he chooses what the best was for him in his future. It’s for that, on Saturday, I know that here, the supporters like him and have this respect also. I think there is a good reception for him here. Then we are going to play and we are going to think after that, for us to win. But, I [hope] the best for his career.