"I am being positive but above all realistic... I am thinking about the next match and how we can improve. If we play like in the first half, that is the way"
Friday 29 November 2019 10:20, UK
Under-pressure head coach Unai Emery claimed Arsenal showed signs of improvement despite seeing his side lose 2-1 to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League in front of what was a sparse Emirates Stadium crowd.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang put the Gunners in front on the stroke of half-time but two goals in nine second-half minutes saw the Bundesliga side secure victory, and ramp up the pressure on Emery.
A chorus of boos greeted the final whistle as the Arsenal supporters, who also held up banners which read: "Emery Out. No tactics, no formation, nowhere to hide", made their feelings known.
Defeat means Arsenal are now winless in their last seven games, with Emery seemingly clinging to his job as reports continue to link replacement candidates with the post.
Despite the mounting pressure on his position, Emery was keen to take the positives, saying: "I think we improved.
"In the first half we had control of the game and we were winning 1-0 but we created chances to score a second goal.
"The first five or 10 minutes or so of the second half was positive, how we were playing," he added.
"We lost control in 15 minutes of the second half and they scored two goals and then we couldn't change the result.
"The last 20 minutes we tried to come back but we didn't create in that moment a big opportunity to score."
Emery brushed over further questions about his future, saying his focus was on Arsenal's next match at Norwich, which is live on Renault Super Sunday on Sky Sports Premier League.
"I am being positive but above all realistic," he added. "I am thinking about the next match and how we can improve.
"If we play like in the first half, that is the way.
"We are now well," he added. "We lost but it was an opportunity tonight to win that match. We deserved it. We improved on the last match here, I think.
"We are top of the group and we lost a very good opportunity to achieve the next round tonight, but we are going to take another in Liege."
Meanwhile, the return of Granit Xhaka proved the only positive on another difficult night for Emery and Arsenal.
The Swiss midfielder made his first appearance for the club since he was stripped of the captaincy for swearing at supporters in last month's 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace, and Emery was delighted with his performance and the response of the supporters.
"He really played well," Emery said.
"It is very good news for Granit. He played well and the supporters helped him."
Sky Sports' Oliver Yew at the Emirates Stadium…
"'Emery Out. No tactics, no formation, nowhere to hide.'"
"Those were the words visible on a banner held aloft by frustrated Arsenal fans during the second half as the Gunners suffered yet another setback under Unai Emery - and it's very difficult to disagree.
"There were yet more tactical changes from Emery as he shifted David Luiz into a holding midfield role - an experiment which ended when the Brazilian was forced from the field because of injury early in the match.
"Despite leading at half-time, the Gunners again lacked direction and looked devoid of any sort of confidence throughout the game, which was played in front of a sparse crowd at the Emirates Stadium.
"The manager continuously barked orders from his technical area but on the pitch it all looked muddled once again, and the Gunners never really looked like finding a way out once Eintracht Frankfurt levelled things up.
"Panic then set in as Arsenal's defending cracked under the pressure. It seemed inevitable that Frankfurt would go on to score a second and the inevitable happened as Kamada was given the freedom of north London on the edge of the Arsenal box before finding the bottom corner.
"The tension was building amongst the home fans and it hit a crescendo as the final whistle condemned Emery's men to their worst run since 1992. Despite the sparse crowd, the boos were loud. They were making their feelings known loud and clear - and it's time for the powers that be to listen.
"Decisive is not generally a word associated with the decision makers at the Emirates Stadium, but they need to take control of this situation before it's too late."
Arsenal travel to Norwich on Sunday at 2pm in the Premier League, live on Sky Sports, while their last Europa League group-stage clash is at Standard Liege on December 12 at 5.55pm.
