Arsenal news: Unai Emery quietly confident that he can finally end long losing streak to Pep Guardiola

Arsenal begin their campaign with a home match against Manchester City

It was almost certainly just a coincidence. But on Friday, at the exact same moment Unai Emery drew breath to begin answering a question on whether Arsenal can realistically hope to win the Premier League this season, there was a loud, rather ominous clap of thunder. Emery was not deterred.

“We have to concentrate on every single match and enjoy the challenge,” he began, exhibiting a willingness to block out the noise which will come in useful over the long months ahead. “This is the best message I can give our supporters: a message of optimism. And first, we can focus only on our first three points, against Manchester City.”

In many ways, Emery’s first pre-match press conference of the 2018/19 season resembled Arsenal’s performances on the pitch in the dying days of Arsène Wenger’s reign, veering wildly from one extreme to another. There were questions on everything from Arsenal’s title aspirations (“we will keep working hard in training”) to just how on earth they plan on holding back a rampant City (“we have to have confidence in ourselves”), further illustrating that this is a club which has thrown itself into the unknown. Nobody is quite sure what to expect.

That includes Emery, a man who finds himself in a new league, at a new club, with the difficult brief of steering them through the most pivotal period of their modern history. For now, all he can focus on is tomorrow’s match, and what a statement it would be to begin his reign on a winning note.

“We are working very hard in time for Sunday to show our capacity and our mentality and I want to win this match because it is important for us and the players to take confidence,” he said. “I have a lot of confidence in myself and I want to transmit that to my players.

“For me this is a new way and a new process, the past is important for this club and the people working here, but we are starting something new with the same players. We will keep a lot of the good ideas that they were already working on here, and also bring in more to improve on tactical things. We need to keep a positive energy which we need, and create a new way and new process.”

Quite how long that positive energy will be sustained if Arsenal lose heavily tomorrow is anybody’s guess. The shadow of Pep Guardiola’s defending champions loomed large over this pre-match press conference, much as it did for Maurizio Sarri ahead of his first competitive game in charge of Chelsea. Emery settled into his seat determined to talk about a new way and a new process; instead he spent much of his time being asked how he plans on getting the better of Guardiola for the first time in his managerial career.

The statistics hardly make for pretty reading for Arsenal’s new manager. The two men are familiar foes from their time in charge of Valencia and Barcelona between 2008 and 2012, with Emery unable to win any of their 10 meetings. Meanwhile the last time City visited The Emirates they ran out 3-0 winners, amid a toxic atmosphere and in front of large swathes of empty red seats.

Unai Emery has a poor record against Pep Guardiola (Getty)

Emery knows it will not be easy. “It’s easier to talk about stopping them then to actually do it on the pitch,” he explained. “They have had two years with Guardiola. They have stability and when you watch their matches you can see how they play with a great confidence in themselves. It is clear to see Guardiola’s strategy in this team.

“So my ambition is for the very best performance from us and we have been working all week to prepare for this game. Above all, we must have confidence in ourselves and produce the best match possible, thinking only about winning.”

Above all, Emery was keen to stress that his side must play energetic, exciting football, as they seek to repair the trust between players and supporters that eroded so viscerally under Wenger last season. “I think every player and supporter will be excited to watch us start on Sunday,” he added. “And the fans will see our players doing their best to get the win.”