The last thing Arsenal need right now is a visit from Manchester United… or is it?

You have to fear for Unai Emery. Locked in a kind of chronic limbo unable to express himself, devoid of identity and momentum, he is asked to cobble some kind of resistance against football’s great metaphysical force.

After the latest nondescript Arsenal surrender in Rennes, the last thing Emery needs is the great White Walker from the north at his door. If you have been on the moon and are not familiar with Game of Thrones, Emery is the mortal in this battle, tasked with defending his kingdom against the unfathomable supernatural enemy. Yes, that would be Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United.

Arsenal, too, scored early in Thursday’s Europa League first leg tie and delivered the same 3-1 scoreline as United in Paris the night before. Beyond that, the comparisons diverge with Arsenal on the wrong end of the split. The runes were against the Gunners, who had Sokratis sent off for lunacy in the 41st minute and conceded from the resultant free-kick. Invited to trample all over Arsenal in the second half Rennes accepted.

Luxury items

While still intact Arsenal might have been three to the good. With 10 men Mesut Ozil, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and scorer Alex Iwobi morphed into luxury items Arsenal could no longer afford, which points to the tension Emery must resolve. Like it or not Ozil is Arsenal’s signature investment, the highest paid player at the club and the team’s greatest creative force. A week ago, following three successive victories against modest opposition that all featured Ozil as a starter, Emery flicked him back to the bench against Spurs. Thus, in matches of the highest import, it would appear Emery does not trust the player.

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In different circumstances Emery’s disposition towards Ozil might be seen as a positive attribute, a sign of a decisive coach in control of his environment operating according to exacting standards that deliver the goods. In the present freeze-thaw conditions, the treatment of Ozil looks like drift and confusion, an erratic stab to solve a problem not properly understood.

Part of Emery’s problem is the difficulty he has in articulating his methods to an English audience, telling us what he is all about. Until plain English is within his grasp we are left to interpret his and his team’s performance and there have not been enough good ones to convince natives that he does what it says on the tin. The sexy past at Sevilla that brought him to the attention of PSG and Arsenal has yet to yield like exotica in the Premier League. If Ozil is not to be his man, fair enough. But there is little else on the playing roster to convey the sense that Arsenal are the ‘big’ club their fans would have them be.

Unease

The transformation under Solskjaer at Old Trafford compounds Arsenal’s unease. Jose Mourinho left behind a moribund, fractured ensemble 11 points adrift of Arsenal when he fell. In the light of subsequent events the Arsenal citizenry are asking why Emery has not had a similar impact. It might have something to do with connectivity, familiarity, empathy, history, trust and, finally, luck. When he has needed it, fate has come down heavily in Solskjaer’s favour.

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Chance as much as design has delivered for Solskjaer, not that you would know it judging by the soaring commentary swirling about him. For his sanity it must be hoped he stays clear of his own press. There is a guru complex waiting for him the moment he lets down his guard. The roll out of Mystic Ole has begun. That remarkable victory in Paris was, it turned out, an outcome foreseen by his Delphic eye, one that could not have been otherwise. Destiny.

Had Marcus Rashford not lasered that penalty in added time accounts would have read very differently, of course. It is beyond doubt that Solskjaer has done a remarkable job but if he has any chance of fulfilling the mad expectations he is creating, a sense of proportion might be useful in those who worship at his altar.

Cultish redness

The reality is always more mundane. Away from the celebratory accounts colouring the ether in cultish redness, United nicked a result against the odds, prevailing on the back of 20-odd per cent possession courtesy of two nasty defensive errors and a penalty in added time awarded for an offence few thought credible.

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The next step for Solskjaer is to uphold the United tradition in all circumstances. The sheep’s clothing worn in Paris is ultimately a contradiction, an insult to the mythology that underpins the club’s attacking legacy. It’s one thing bullying Crystal Palace and Southampton, another taking it to the European elite without bending a knee.

The challenge for Emery is to communicate to the players and the fans what kind of team he wants Arsenal to be and to identify himself as a coach with personality and authority. There is no time like the present, Unai. That top four spot is there to be claimed. Take Mystic Ole down on Sunday and it might yet be yours. Carpe diem.