All good points. I too felt for Emery; he seems a good guy and is obviously a talented manager (four Europa Cups with small budget Sevilla is an accomplishment). I thought a corner was turned during last season’s 20+ match unbeaten streak before the lack of nerve returned. That and never really settled on a best 11, though the squad is top heavy with strikers, wingers, and attacking midfielders.
You nailed the “lack of confidence” in the club. No player typified it more than Mustafi. A defender so good at Sampdoria and Valencia that he earned a trip to Brazil in 2014 and has a World Cup Winners Medal. Put him in an Arsenal shirt and he’s lost. David Luiz has has moments of calamity during his career, but he was also a vital contributor to sides that won the CL and multiple leagues. The club plays scared and wilts in the face of adversity. Where is Tony Adams, or Patrick Vieira, or Gilberto, or Martin Keown? Players who imposed their will on matches and through strength of character elevated their teammates and refused to lose. The entire club needs an overhaul in culture, and Kroenke has zero scheisss to give.