How Unai Emery can unleash Henrikh Mkhitaryan

With starting of the  International Championship Cup, Unai Emery's new looking Arsenal will be having 3 pre-season games: Atletico Madrid, PSG, Chelsea. One of Emery’s main ambitions will be to get the best out of an all-star attacking cast. In the past the Spanish coach has worked with some outstanding players, including Neymar, Ángel Di María, Edinson Cavani and Éver Banega. His style of play is forward-thinking, which should suit Mkhitaryan. Aside from a career in football, Mkhitaryan and Unai Emery share one thing in common: a love of chess. “I used to play a lot of chess,” Emery told World Soccer in 2010. “I love the strategy, the sense of planning and out-thinking an opponent.” As for Mkhitaryan, he likes to apply the board game’s concepts on the field. “I play football like chess,” he told reporters while at Dortmund. “You have to think a lot and anticipate what could happen after you make your move. If you make a mistake, your opponent can punish and you end up losing the game. The most dangerous area is the centre, which has to be either attacked or defended in football and it's the same in chess.” The 29-year-old is likely to be one of Emery’s key pieces at Arsenal. He could form a deadly front three with Aubameyang and Mesut Özil. Arsenal have already made few new signings this summer. Stephan Lichtsteiner has arrived on a free transfer from Juventus, German international goalkeeper Bernd Leno has joined from Bayer Leverkusen, as well as Lucas Torreira from Sampdoria. But with Emery’s smart tactical knowladge, Mkhitaryan could potentially be the revelation of Arsenal’s 2018/19 campaign.  

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