Arsenal told they could have won the title under Unai Emery last season as Tony Adams explains main reason Mikel Arteta failed to get the Gunners 'across the line'

Instead it was Mikel Arteta in the dugout at the Emirates Stadium, as it has been since December 2019 - when he took over from Emery. Arteta was unable to take advantage of a whopping 248 days in top spot during the 2022-23 season, with Arsenal falling to three defeats and three draws in their final nine league games and City going on to triumph for the third-straight Premier League season. However, had current Villa boss Emery been at the helm, Adams feels it could've been a different story.

The former Gunners centre-back told talkSPORT: "Last year, weirdly if Unai Emery was our manager then we could have perhaps won the league. I know he didn’t stick around and following Arsene Wenger was difficult, a bit like George Graham being followed by Bruce Rioch [in 1995]. I think he [Arteta] missed a few bits last season to get us over the line. I love him. I love his passion and enthusiasm. I’ve always said he’s a little bit inexperienced and perhaps needs to draw on someone in his staff who is a little more experienced. I’m talking about going across the line last season. We all make mistakes and aren’t perfect. He perhaps didn’t rotate players early enough last season. People were running out of steam, like Bukayo Saka. I think he’s doing great.”

Indeed, while Arsenal faltered at the back end of last season, and have fluctuated at points this campaign, Emery's Villa have been on a steady charge ever since he joined. Per BBC 5 Live, the four-time Europa League winner has won an incredible 77 points from his first 38 league games in charge - a stark contrast to the 44 gained from the previous 38 before Emery. Villa's most recent victory came at Tottenham on Sunday, where an Ollie Watkins strike sealed a 2-1 comeback victory for the West Midlands side.

Despite Adams' preferences, Arteta actually boasts a higher win percentage at Arsenal than his compatriot, with a 58 per cent rate compared to Emery's 55.

Europe awaits for both sides, who sit atop their respective groups. Arteta's side host Lens in the Champions League on Wednesday, needing a draw to be sure of their progression to the knockout stage. Emery's men, meanwhile, will also look for a draw to progress in the Europa Conference League, when they host second-placed Legia Warsaw a day later.