Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes Unai Emery has proved him right at the north London club with the Spaniard making minimal changes to the team which struggled to a sixth-place finish last season. The Gunners were expected to undergo a major overhaul after under performing during the final campaign under Wenger but nothing of that sort happened in the summer with the new head coach opting to make minimal signings to reinforce the squad.

Since then, the Gunners have remained fairly competitive at the top end of the standings and they are currently within goal difference off the top four positions. Speaking to BeIN Sport, Wenger said that he is pleased that Emery has stuck with the same crop of players from the previous campaign, although he continued to praise the defensive stability brought about by the ex-Paris Saint-Germain boss.

He said:“The team is in good hands and I always said that. A lot of people thought when I left the club that the team would need to completely rebuild – I never thought that. I am very happy that these people have been proven wrong. I think Emery is doing an excellent job,” Wenger continued. With the recruits he has brought in, it has brought a form of defensive stability and so I think everything is going well.”

Arsenal recently suffered a dip in form with successive defeats across all competitions but they have managed to return to winning ways after bagging a 3-1 triumph over Burnley. The outcome sees them within goal difference off fourth-placed Chelsea, who suffered a rather surprise 1-0 defeat to Leicester City at the Bridge.

Next up, the Gunners are scheduled to face Brighton & Hove Albion on the road and the game remains another tricky prospect with the Seagulls generally performing at their best when playing at the Amex Stadium. Arsenal suffered a 2-1 defeat during the previous trip to the South Coast outfit.