MX23RW : Thursday, August 16 21:04:44

Unai Emery: 'Arsenal must control matches, become more aggressive'

Unai Emery: 'Arsenal must control matches'
© Reuters
Arsenal manager Unai Emery is confident that the group of players available to him 'have the characteristics' to fit into his desired system.

Unai Emery has outlined his blueprint for his first season in charge of Arsenal, admitting that his side must become more "aggressive" in attacking transitions.

The Gunners will run out for a Premier League game without Arsene Wenger for the first time since September 1996 when Manchester City travel to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Former Sevilla and Paris Saint-Germain boss Emery is tasked with guiding Arsenal back into the Champions League following two years outside of the top four.

Emery already knows what his side must do differently and, having been given a month to work with his players during pre-season, the Spaniard believes that each individual can fit into his desired system.

"Our style with the ball is to be protagonists, to do things with combinations, to control the match with the positioning of the ball. And then when we have the space, to be aggressive going forward," he told Sky Sports News.

"Defensively: first it is to be organised, recover the ball quickly. But in these two moments in the match we need to work. To say it here is easier than doing it on the pitch. We also need time, but now I am happy because I think the players are improving.

"We need two things: quality players, which we have, and then organisation. Together I think we can improve, to win in our way. I repeat: organised, then play. When we are thinking in an attacking moment, I want the goalkeeper thinking for that, he is the first.

"The same when we are thinking defensively, I want our strikers to be thinking: 'We need to protect the goalkeepers'. I want those two moments to feel the same for all players. Each player has this quality, this characteristic to help the team as a collective. For me, that is very important."

Arsenal won all five of their pre-season friendlies, although two of those - against Atletico Madrid and Chelsea - came via penalties.

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