Tony Adams claims Arsenal could have won the Premier League last season with former manager Unai Emery in charge… suggesting Mikel Arteta’s ‘inexperience’ led to a collapse at the end of the campaign

Arsenal legend Tony Adams believes Arsenal could have won the title last season if they had Unai Emery in charge.

The Gunners were in strong contention to win their first Premier League trophy since 2004 last term, only for a late-season collapse to see them finish five points off eventual champions Manchester City.

Mikel Arteta has been in the job since December 2019, when he replaced Unai Emery who lasted just 18 months in the job before he was sacked.

Adams has told talkSPORT that Emery – now doing an impressive job at Aston Villa – could have won the title with the Gunners last season.

When asked about Arteta he said: ‘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.

Arsenal led much of the 2022-23 campaign only to suffer a late-season collapse 

Arsenal legend Tony Adams (left) says Mikel Arteta’s ‘experience’ led to their collapse

‘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.

‘Last year, weirdly if Unai Emery was our manager then we could have perhaps won the league.’

Emery in his only full season at the Emirates, narrowly missed out on a Champions League qualification spot after finishing fifth in the Premier League, and suffering a 4-1 loss to Chelsea in the Europa League final.

He was sacked in November that year following a seven-game winless run.

Freddie Ljungberg took interim charge before Arteta took on the role. 

Arteta too has had his barren spells of form during his time at the Gunners, but they first emerged as title contenders last season. 

They missed out on the title despite sitting top of the table for 248 days. 

Arsenal will be looking to end their two-decade wait this season, with the Gunners one point clear of Man City at the top, and two ahead of Liverpool and Emery’s Aston Villa side. 

Unai Emery was sacked by Arsenal after just 18 months in charge but has impressed at Aston Villa – who are currently two points off the Gunners at the top of the Premier League standings