Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Rich Jones

5 things we noticed from Arsenal training as Unai Emery battles to save job

Arsenal boss Unai Emery took training as normal on Wednesday as he battles to save his job.

Emery is under serious pressure after a run of six Premier League games without a win.

He was cornered by club bosses Raul Sanllehi and Edu for crisis talks in the tunnel after Alexandre Lacazette salvaged a point late on against Southampton .

Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo has been tipped to succeed Emery, with Massimiliano Allegri, Mauricio Pochettino and current assistant coach Freddie Ljungberg also linked.

But with a Europa League clash with Eintracht Frankfurt at the Emirates on Thursday and a chance to book their place in the knockout stages, it was business as usual for Emery at their London Colney training base.

Here's five things we noticed from Emery's session as he shrugged off the pressure to prepare for their latest game.

Unai Emery took training as normal as pressure surrounding his future mounts (PA)

1) Searching for answers

Arsenal have looked devoid of ideas in recent weeks.

Emery has been accused of lacking a plan - and now he's searching for answers.

Emery was seen taking a long, hard look at his clipboard at the start of training.

Emery is searching for answers after Arsenal's poor run of form (Action Images via Reuters)

Does he have the answers in his tactical notes?

Arsenal fans will be hoping he can find the solution from somewhere...

2) Olive branch for Ozil

Mesut Ozil has been left out in the cold by Emery in one of his most controversial moves of the season.

He has barely featured - but could he be handed an olive branch?

Mesut Ozil has barely featured this season despite calls from fans for a recall (Getty Images)

Emery needs to change something, and many fans have sided with the German playmaker, seeing him as a potential game-changer.

Emery was spotted shaking hands with Ozil as he walked onto the training pitch.

Having not yet appeared in the Europa League this campaign, Emery could give Ozil an opportunity to stake a claim.

3) Xhaka could earn recall

Granit Xhaka has not played for Arsenal since his outburst at fans against Crystal Palace which saw him stripped of the captaincy.

But Emery claimed he is moving closer to a return to action this week.

Granit Xhaka could be reintegrated after being stripped of the captaincy (Action Images via Reuters)

Reports have suggested the Swiss international remains a respected figure in the dressing room and could be reintegrated into the side.

With a spot in the knockout stages looking to be on the cards, Xhaka could be reintroduced to the fold in the Europa League on Thursday night.

He was involved in training as he looks to show why he deserves to be back on the pitch to move on from his controversy.

4) Emery gets hands-on

It was all hands on deck for Emery at training.

He was spotted moving around training mannequins and laying out cones to put his session into practice.

Emery was hands-on as he looked to put together a productive session (Getty Images)

With pressure mounting, Emery is clearly taking matters into his own hands and leaving no stone unturned in his preparation.

Arsenal fans will be hopeful his planning paid off in a big session for his side as they aim for a turnaround.

5) Aubameyang and Lacazette look relaxed

There might be plenty of pressure on Arsenal right now - but the players aren't showing it.

They were seen smiling and looking relaxed as they arrived at training.

Arsenal's players - including Aubameyang and Lacazette - looked relaxed (Action Images via Reuters)

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette have both been linked with exits if the club do not return to Champions League action.

With their league form faltering, that makes the Europa League crucial in a bid to secure a back-door route into the top table of European football.

But the key strikers both looked calm and relaxed as they smiled on their way to the pitch to prepare for Thursday's game.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.