Arsenal Boss Unai Emery Aims Sly Dig at Arsene Wenger for Neglecting Defensive Structure

​Arsenal manager Unai Emery has subtly criticised predecessor Arsene Wenger for neglecting "defensive structure" during the end of his reign at the Gunners.

Wenger left the north London side after an unprecedented 22 years in charge, with the 69-year-old's last Premier League triumph coming in 2004, and only FA Cup and Community Shield successes following. This led to a divide amongst the fans, before his departure at the end of last season.

When asked about Wenger, Emery told ​Marca: "With Arsene, joy came from attacking, with players of good standing. And the perfect combination was the Invincibles.

"But over time, only technical quality and offensive freedom were taken care of, losing the defensive structure. What I want is to unite both essences and be more competitive. Arsenal was in decline. We had to stop it and start climbing."

The Spaniard has had a successful start to life at ​Arsenal, despite opening with defeats to Manchester City and Chelsea, leading his side to an 11-game winning streak in the Premier League between August and October.

Emery also revealed he has met Wenger only once since his arrival in London: "I met once with him, and little else. I respect him a lot, but no matter how much info he gave me, I had to change things. I told the players: We started at kilometre zero. Even now, four months later, I still say it: We are in the beginning!"

Emery's side will look to continue their push towards the top four when they return to Premier League action at the weekend with a trip to the Vitality Stadium to face Bournemouth.