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Arsenal news: Olivier Giroud delivers Arsene Wenger dig, makes Unai Emery prediction
ARSENAL have not improved since Arsene Wenger was sacked - but they have a bright future under Unai Emery.
Arsenal vs Chelsea: Premier League clash preview
That’s the verdict of former Gunners striker Olivier Giroud, who makes his first return to the Emirates today (5.30pm) since leaving 12 months ago.
Arsenal have undergone major changes since Giroud left for London rivals Chelsea in an £18million move.
Wenger ended his 22-year tenure at the club with Spanish coach Emery coming in. After overseeing a 22-match unbeaten run across all competitions, Arsenal have since endured a blip - losing three of their last six Premier League games.
And they face a crunch clash with Giroud’s Chelsea today at the Emirates (5.30pm) knowing defeat would leave them nine points off the fourth-placed Blues with just 15 games left of the campaign.
I’m not sure they're better than before [yet], but one thing for sure is they've got a nice future.
Given their recent struggles, it is essentially a must-win clash for Arsenal if they are to return to the Champions League via a league finish.
They can also win the Europa League to return to the premier continental competition, but know Chelsea, Napoli and five-time champions Sevilla are among the opponents they could still face in the later knockout rounds.
And discussing his return to Arsenal, Giroud has suggested that Emery has not overseen as much progression as has been suggested.
"It's a new adventure for them with a new coach,” Giroud told ESPN as he previewed this evening’s showdown in the capital.
"I think Emery has settled well in the club, the players like him, the way they are training, his philosophy of the game.
“I spoke with some of them and they are quite happy, but you don't forget what Arsene Wenger achieved in this club.
"He basically built this club - if you take the different teams that used to train under Wenger, there were some unbelievable teams.
“We need to be patient with Emery and I think he will do very well at Arsenal.
“I’m not sure they're better than before [yet], but one thing for sure is they've got a nice future."
Emery, meanwhile, has warned Arsenal’s top-four hopes hinge on avoiding defeat to Chelsea.
The manager admitted: “I think yes [nine points would be too big a gap].
“After our loss to West Ham, it is a big difference to be six points behind Chelsea instead of three points.
“The opportunity we now have against Chelsea is not the same but, if we win, we have the opportunity to be closer to them.”