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Emery on how we can improve our clean-sheet record
Unai Emery is pleased with the progress his side have made since his arrival this summer, despite waiting for a first clean sheet.
We have sharpened up defensively in recent weeks, only to concede late consolation goals against Newcastle and Vorskla, but our head coach remains optimistic that we are heading in the right direction.
This is what he told the media ahead of Sunday’s game against Everton:
on how much progress the team have made since he arrived…
I think, little by little. We’ve won two matches away and that’s small progress but very important for continuing to improve our confidence. I think we are finding the balance. We need to continue working to get better in each match, individually and collectively. I am very excited to show every supporter our ideas, the exciting matches in each match, like at Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Away, [I want us] to be competitive, like in our last two matches against Newcastle and Cardiff. We need to continue being competitive in each match, and continue to improve.
on why we are still to keep a clean sheet…
I want to win. We are winning but maybe we can analyse one day, we don’t score our chances and the opposition score a lot of chances we can lose the match. I want to continue improving in all things and find the balance. Now it’s very important and our objective to improve in the defensive moments.
on whether a lack of concentration has been an issue…
There are different things. For example in the match against Newcastle we didn’t concede a lot of chances, and the goal that we conceded in the last minute is something we can work on. It’s something where we can give them the mentality so that it doesn’t happen again. I think this match is a good example of how we have improved in this. Yesterday was different because after we scored four goals, the team relaxed a little and conceded one or two goals. One was a mistake, but I think we have the solution and the first chance we have to prove that is against Everton on Sunday.
on Bernd Leno…
When you start the pre-season you have 25 players and you need passion with every player and above all with the young players or the new players. Their experience is very important like other things to play each match in the Premier League because the competition is stronger. Also then we have the possibility to give them chances to continue improving and show his performance with this passion and look at each performance in each match or in training here at Colney. With Leno, we are very happy. He played his first match in the first XI and we need to continue to give him chances and also confidence for when he plays to have the best performance with him.’
on whether Leno could retain his place…
My idea is each match is to arrive in the last hours to decide and say to the players my decision. But now the [priority] for us is a good performance and we spoke with every player and with this situation with the goalkeepers to explain his situation at the moment and continue working for each match to give us the performance.
Press Conference
Rob Kelly 21 Sep 2018
By Arsenal.
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