Puel’s Respect For ‘Quality’ Emery

- Claude Puel credits Arsenal manager Unai Emery for his early impact at the Gunners
- The former Paris Saint-Germain boss has led his side to nine straight wins in all competitions
- Puel underlines Alexandre Lacazette’s clinical edge having worked with the striker at Lyon

The Gunners were beaten by current champions Manchester City in Unai Emery’s first game in charge, before a late strike from Marcos Alonso saw Maurizio Sarri’s men seal three Premier League points at Stamford Bridge.

However, since that loss, Arsenal have won every game, and now sit just two points off the Premier League summit.

“He started the Premier League games with some difficulties,” Puel said of Emery. “They lost their two first games. After, I think they worked and played well to win games in the cup and in Europe and Premier League games.

“Nine wins in this moment is incredible, but I think they have good confidence in their play. Perhaps they play with more direct play, more clinical player with clinical players like [Alexandre] Lacazette, for example.

“He can make a fantastic job. It’s not easy to take the team after Arsène Wenger. We know this manager can give for his club and starting this season with a new manager, with perhaps a lot of pressure.

“It is fantastic, their beginning of the season. I have respect for this manager and the quality of his work.”

Puel picked out Lacazette as one of Arsenal’s major threats, having previously worked with the France international at Lyon.

Describing him as a ‘complete player’, the Frenchman added: “He started with me his first game. At the beginning, he was always a striker but to find a place and to find more game time in the team, he started like a winger and, of course, he always had the same quality.

“He was clinical all of the time in the box and I think he improve on this transition without the ball, to work for the team and repeat his efforts. At the beginning of his career, his only focus was to score, and not to work for the team.

“I think now, he has become a complete player with good transition with the ball and without the ball. He’s always available for the team. He works all the time and he kept the good clinical edge. I’m not surprised about his quality and about his work with Arsenal.”