Arsenal Players Question Unai Emery's Team Selections as Champions League Spots Slip Away

Arsenal players are becoming confused with manager Unai Emery's tactical choices, the Gunners losing their last three Premier League games with varied systems

Arsenal players are becoming confused with manager Unai Emery's tactical choices, the Gunners losing their last three Premier League games with varied systems and confused defensive disorganisation. 

An unfamiliar back four of Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Shkodran Mustafi, Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Sead Kolasinac started Sunday lunchtime's game away at Leicester, featuring two players who hadn't started against Wolves just a few days earlier – a defensive setup which itself was a departure from the back five which lined up against Crystal Palace. 

Carl Jenkinson started at right wing-back against Palace. Arsenal lost. 

The Telegraph report that not only is Emery's authority unravelling somewhat as the Gunners do their level best to blow the chance to play in the Champions League next season, but the summer's transfer business is looking unfocused thanks to the lack of clarity over the director of football position. 

A number of names have been linked with the role, including Emery's former Sevilla colleague Monchi and former Arsenal star Marc Overmars, but the role remains unfilled with less than three weeks to go until the start of the summer transfer window. 

Uncertainty over whether or not the Gunners will be playing Champions League football next season – whether through league position or Europa League victory – is not helping matters, with a gulf in income and status between Europe's first and second competitions. 

📝 pic.twitter.com/aJVZtFOimi

— Denis Suarez (@DenisSuarez6) April 29, 2019

Emery's first season at the Emirates has broadly been a success, with the club passing last season's Premier League points tally with five games to spare, but confused team selection and consistently dreadful performances away from home have taken the gloss off a promising start. 

Arsenal host Valencia this Thursday in the semi-finals of the Europa League before Brighton visit London on Sunday evening.