Arsenal head coach Unai Emery refused to be drawn into the ongoing contract wrangles surrounding midfielder Aaron Ramsey.
Press Association Sport believes talks over a new deal for the 27-year-old have broken down and that he is now likely to leave when his current agreement expires at the end of the season.
Ramsey has started all-but one of the six Premier League games under Emery’s tenure but the Spaniard insists his only focus in the role of head coach is preparing the team.
“There are three elements, three aspects,” he said.
“One is the player and also the player with their family and representatives. The other is the club and the other is the squad. My focus is always on the team. My focus is preparing with the players and only thinking about the match tomorrow.
“Each player has individual aspects to work or to do or to speak with the club or with the team, but my aspect for the focus, only to think, is the matches and preparing for the matches and to speak with the players if they are thinking and are very concentrated on work for giving us the best performance and to help the collective performance.”
The Gunners host Watford on Saturday having won their last six games in all competitions and will leapfrog their visitors in the table with victory at the Emirates Stadium, with Emery keen to keep the momentum going.
Last time Watford visited Emirates Stadium…
⛔️ @PetrCech stopped Troy Deeney's penalty to make the Emirates roar 😊#ARSWAT pic.twitter.com/Cr4Rf1fold
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) September 28, 2018
“Each match gives us the opportunity to take more confidence,” he said.
“We are winning, I think the confidence is the best on our individual players and also on our collective work.
“But every match is one challenge to show and to give, to find our best moment and best performance. I think each player is thinking well, but also we need more.”
Emery comes up against a former team-mate in Hornets boss Javi Gracia, with the pair having played alongside one another at Real Sociedad.
Working towards Watford 👊
🔜 @PremierLeague pic.twitter.com/6xJzp30NRB
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) September 27, 2018
“I knew him there, as a player and team-mate with me,” explained Emery.
“As a coach he’s very competitive. He is improving and he is growing up in football with this mentality. He’s very competitive and here, I think Watford is starting the season very well because they are playing very well.
“Saturday is, for us, a big challenge to overtake him in the table and win against him. But I know before that it’s a very difficult match and for them also, it’s one very, very big challenge.
“We are excited and I think they are excited for the 90 minutes we are going to play on Saturday.”
