Former Liverpool star, Jamie Carragher, has said that Arsenal boss, Unai Emery has not been able to change anything in 18 months at the Emirate after the Gunners fell to a 1-0 defeat to Sheffield United on Monday night. Emery’s men entered the match with a chance of moving back up to third place.
However, they showed some sloppy play and a lack of real attacking intent against Sheffield.
Nicolas Pepe wasted Arsenal’s best chance through the midway of the first half when he missed a sitter from six yards out.
And it proved costly just 10 minutes later when Lys Mousset tapped in unmarked from a corner.
The pressure was then on Arsenal to break down a Sheffield United team, which had kept three clean sheets in the opening eight league games – one more than Emery has managed away from home since coming as Arsene Wenger’s replacement.
Arsenal huffed and they puffed but never truly threatened Dean Henderson’s goal with Sheffield United holding on for a famous win.
Carragher was full of praise for Sheffield on how they controlled key moments throughout the match.
But he was equally critical of how little – if any – Emery has changed at Arsenal since joining the club in 2018.
“Sheffield United were absolutely brilliant tonight but I actually feared for Arsenal before kick-off,” he said on Sky Sports.
“I thought it would be a tough one for them, considering how [Sheffield United] performed against Liverpool.
“I thought if they got anywhere near that, then they would win the game, and they did.
“It wasn’t just a battling performance – some of the football they played was outstanding.
“How often I’ve done this show over the last five or six years and I’m saying the same thing. Nothing is different under Unai Emery.
“The big problem is, I actually thought Sheffield United would win before the game. And they should rightly get applauded off.
“Even when they were under pressure in the second half, they played out under pressure.”
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