After success at Sevilla and a mixed spell at PSG, the Spaniard needs to solve some glaring issues to get the Gunners firing again
Arsenal's fanbase has long been hungry for change and a fresh chapter in north London. After all, Arsene Wenger's farewell after 22 years in charge was accompanied by a sixth-place finish and the failure to achieve Champions League qualification for the second year in succession.
Now, Unai Emery takes over. The Spaniard swept the board domestically at Paris Saint-Germain last season, but his failure to mount a significant Champions League challenge left questions over his elite credentials.
Such concerns might quickly seem trivial when he takes charge of a new era at Arsenal, where he will find plenty of talent but, similarly, numerous problems to address.
Many of Arsenal's woes over recent seasons have tended to centre around a flimsy backline given inadequate midfield protection. Laurent Koscielny makes more mistakes than is acceptable for a supposed defensive leader – the first leg of the Europa League semi-final against Atletico Madrid being a case in point – and Shkodran Mustafi's deterioration has been startling.
A chunk of Emery's reported £50 million transfer budget would be well spent on a centre-back.
50 - Arsenal have conceded 50 goals in top-flight campaign for the first time since 1983-84 (60), which was also the last time they finished 6th. Quirk.May 9, 2018
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2. Cure travel sickness
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Nothing underlined Arsenal's brittle nature better than their terrible away form last season. A 1-0 loss to Stoke, who went on to be relegated, and a 4-0 thrashing at Liverpool got things underway.
The 4-2 defeat in the FA Cup to Championship side Nottingham Forest preceded a dismal run of seven consecutive Premier League losses on the road – a slump that extended until a 1-0 win at Huddersfield on the last day of the campaign. For a side aspiring to return to the Champions League, it was a wholly unacceptable return.
3. Get the best out of Mesut Ozil
Emery is fresh from two years at PSG, where coaxing the best out of exceptional talents and managing egos proved tricky at times. Ozil is a playmaker of unquestionably sublime gifts and his best performances generally coincide with Arsenal playing superbly.
But at times, he has become a sullen figure over recent seasons. Whenever things go wrong for the Gunners, fans and pundits are often ready to declare they're the Germany star's fault. If Emery can harness Ozil's creative brilliance and leave the blame game behind, he will be well on the way to success in N5.
4. Bring fresh ideas and tactical sharpness
Reports emerged towards the end of Wenger's tenure of an Arsenal dressing room lamenting the need for more help and guidance on the training field. They won't lack for that under Emery, who is famously meticulous in his attention to detail. Astute in-game tweaks - see the 2016 Europa League Final turnaround against Liverpool - are also part of his repertoire.
Given the overwhelming sense that Wenger had become set in his ways, Emery's challenge might be to avoid shocking the squad with too much change too soon.
5. Lacazette and Aubameyang
Even if Emery has limited spending power during his first summer at the Emirates, Arsenal fans shouldn't be able to complain about a lack of investment over the past year. Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang arrived in the last two transfer windows, both for hefty fees and each with deserved reputations for being among the most lethal strikers in Europe.
They were signings that represented ambition Arsenal have often been accused of lacking, if not entirely coherent thinking. Lacazette finished a mixed season strongly but missed out on a World Cup place with France, while January recruit Aubameyang fired 10 in 12 league starts. Will the ex-Borussia Dortmund man lead Emery's frontline alone, or can the new boss harness two prized assets in tandem?
