The Spaniard is confident he has the full backing of the Gunners board and, for the first time in his career, has freedom to operate
Unai Emery has revealed Arsenal are the first club to offer him a long-term project – dismissing any notion he could face the sack early into his spell in north London.
The Spaniard signed a three-year deal upon arriving as Arsene Wenger’s successor in the summer, with reports suggesting the club have inserted a break clause after two seasons.
Qualifying for next season’s Champions League is Emery’s priority this term and though the coach admits it will be tough, he’s confident he will not be put under any undue pressure if that goal is not attained.
“As a manager, I have always put myself under the pressure of the necessity to win,” he told Sky Sports.
“You know that winning will allow you to either continue what you’re doing or to find another project. And you know that if you lose, they will take the project you already have away from you.
“But at Arsenal, it’s maybe the first time I feel that I have the support to build up from the bottom in order to get where we want to be.
“It allows us to work more for the long-term – or at least, ‘long-term’ in football terms. It supports the kind of work we want to do at this club.”
After beginning his managerial career in his homeland – which included four years at Valencia – Emery moved to Spartak Moscow before returning to Spain with Sevilla.
He won the Europa League three times at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium with limited resources, before moving to Paris Saint-Germain in 2016.
Emery operated under immense pressure at the Parc des Princes and eventually left after just two campaigns, despite winning the French treble in his final season in charge.
Therefore, the 47-year-old is relishing the opportunity to manage a long-term project in a country which he feels has a more programmatic outlook over what constitutes success.
“After my experiences in Spain, in Russia and in France, I believe that here, people see football in a very distinct way,” he added.
“As well as the teams being more competitive and tougher, I believe the fans feel football from the heart.
“The question of whether you win, lose or draw is very important, but there is always a respect towards football beyond just the result.
“That means you can do a more progressive job, a job based on building from the bottom without only thinking about results, because sometimes, a result can hide solid foundations.”