A lively debate broke out after Rio Ferdinand, Joel Beya, and Stephen Howson discussed the contrast between Unai Emery’s current success at Aston Villa and Mikel Arteta’s long-term project at Arsenal.
The conversation touched a nerve with many Arsenal fans, especially as the club chases another tense Premier League title push. The chat kicked in a video posted by Rio Ferdinand Presents via their official X account.
Watch the video below:
When Ferdinand asked Joelbeya how he is feeling as an Arsenal fan.
Joel tried to keep things calm, reminding everyone, It’s only December. But Rio wasn’t having it, teasing him for celebrating a bit too early after Arsenal defeated Brentford 2-0 in the Premier League.
He said:
Last week you were wearing shades and popping champagne bottles.
Softfootball understands that he said that jokingly, making the whole room laugh. Then the debate took a sharper turn. With Aston Villa recently defeating Arsenal 2-1 in the Premier League, and Unai Emery getting huge praise for what he’s building there, the big question came up.
If Emery had stayed at Arsenal and received the same financial backing as Mikel Arteta, would he have already won the Premier League?
Ferdinand then dropped the real grenade.
He said:
if Unai Emery had stayed and been backed the way Arteta has. Do you think he would’ve won the league by now?
Joel’s answer surprised a few people; he stated that there is a good chance of Emery winning the title at Arsenal if he has had enough financial support from the club.
He said:
Maybe. do. I do think there’s a strong chance. There’s a strong chance. And I’ve gone on record saying this. I believe that, look, I’m very thankful for what Mikel has done. He’s taken us out of the trenches. He’s restructured the club. But I also think Unai is an excellent manager as well. And I think the voices from the Arsenal fan base, not me, more like troops in that. Yeah. They’re the ones that really got it.
He went on to explain that while he’s grateful for Arteta taking the Arsenal team to the next level, his respect for Emery has never left.
He also pointed out that fans played a big role in Emery’s exit, stating the loudest voices weren’t his but troops, suggesting parts of the fanbase pushed the former boss out before he truly had a chance.
The whole debate reflects the tension Arsenal fans feel right now: pride in Arteta’s rebuild, pressure to finally win the league, and a bit of wondering, What if?, when watching Emery thrive at Villa.
