Emery’s press conference: read every word

Unai Emery was understandably in a low-key mood following our Europa League final defeat to Chelsea in Baku on Wednesday night.

Our head coach faced the media afterwards and discussed the performance, the team’s mentality and how the result will affect our summer plans.

Read on for a full transcript of his press conference:

on what the result came down to…

Good evening. Yes [it was a bad second half] but we knew it was going to be difficult to take our first target in the Premier League. We were closer to achieving that but we lost one or two points to teams like Tottenham and Chelsea. The other way was the Europa League. We tried and worked hard and we played against Chelsea in the final. Today, congratulations to them. They are now better than us. In the first half we had some possibilities and we didn’t take a lot of chances to score. We didn’t concede many chances to them, but for one big save from Petr Cech. In the second half, the idea was the same. We wanted to take our moment for the possibility to have the efficiency to score, but they scored the first goal. The first goal was very important in this match because after we needed to play with calmness, but we made mistakes and they have very good players with the efficiency to score. We had the possibility to be in the match but they scored the second goal and after it was more difficult.

on the mentality…

They have very good players and also we can speak about us, the quality, and I think in the second half they used all their quality. We played with some young players and we knew it would be difficult. We are in our process. I want to say to all the supporters that we are in a process. We didn’t achieve our first target this year, but we are closer to them in the Premier League and secondly in this competition, playing in the final. Next year is a big challenge to take another step in our way, with our young players and the spirit. We are really disappointed today but in general we made a new step in improving and being competitive. We made one more step than last year.

on whether this will affect transfers…

Maybe, but I think we are a big team. I think Arsenal is a big name in the world of football. A lot of players want to play here. We are in one process and we need, in this process, to be strong in our idea, to be strong in our way. It’s the reason we started this season. The idea was to get more competitive like a team, be closer to other teams, and we did that. At the moment, it’s not enough for our target, but the next week and next year that idea will continue in our minds. I don’t know our targets for next year, but the club is working to improve and do everything in our way. We have a lot of players who have the possibility to improve and grow up with us. For example, we have given a lot of youngsters their first experience of a final. I am positive for our future, creating our way with young players who are getting better in our way.

on players in the final year or two of their contracts - and if that means we'll see wholesale changes this summer...

I think it's not the moment to speak about that. We need to analyse, we need to speak with the club, we need to speak also with the players. We need to do one step more in our way but my idea, our idea, is to carry on our improvement with the players, with the young players that arrived last year and maybe some players need to leave to also take a new way. But it's not the moment to speak about that. I am very proud of our work, I am very proud of our finale, we didn't make our target but I'm proud of our work because I think the players did all they can in the possibility to achieve our target. We are closing to the other teams, but at the moment it's not enough. Next year, we can continue with the same team but some players will also come and help us to get better in our capacity and that's our idea.

on what he thinks needs to change at Arsenal to take the next step...

I think we have good, big players with experience and some young players who can, in the next year, with the experience of this year, take a little more great performance for us. I think this year we used it to be closer to the other teams and next year we need the same players, the same idea, maybe also to add some new players to give us some situations we can improve. But it's the same way as this year. To do one step more and I think the next year, a lot of players who played this year - the first time with us - can be better and can get more performance for us.