da dobrowin： As Unai Emery's Aston Villa side took Brighton to the cleaners in a 6-1 drubbing on Saturday, Arsenal fans will have been pleasantly surprised, but hardly envious of the Spanish coach.
da brdice： After all, his spell at the Emirates Stadium was as far from the positive radiant football we're seeing at Villa Park now.
Following in the footsteps of Arsene Wenger was never going to be an easy task but Emery made life difficult for himself.
Of course, he struggled with the language, but he didn't quite seem to get what the Gunners were about. The football was slow and lacking in identity – the very fact he played two holding midfielders at home to Huddersfield Town said it all.
Fortunately, those days are now behind the London club as they seek to reignite the trophy-laden days of Wenger's early Arsenal tenure under Mikel Arteta.
Emery's fellow Spaniard has led a remarkable revival in N5 with Arsenal very nearly toppling Manchester City last term, and now sitting one point behind them this season.
One contentious point of debate has been the number 8 position in midfield. Kai Havertz may have scored his first goal for the club against Bournemouth, but beyond that performance has left a lot to be desired.
The club's inability to replace Granit Xhaka has arguably been their only real downfall this season. How they must long for the Swiss' impact again or perhaps even the days of Jack Wilshere, Santi Cazorla or Aaron Ramsey.
All would now thrive in this Arteta side, notably Ramsey, a Welsh wizard capable of regular goal involvements.
How much did Arsenal sign Aaron Ramsey for?
The story goes that the midfielder so very nearly signed for Manchester United. The Red Devils had even announced that a deal had been agreed at the time with Cardiff to sign the then-teenager.
However, Arsenal came calling and in 2008, the player moved to London in a measly deal worth just £4.8m.
It wasn't a move met with much fanfare, but the now 32-year-old would eventually leave as a cult hero in the English capital.
What did Aaron Ramsey achieve at Arsenal?
Throughout 11 years at Arsenal, Ramsey experienced the very lows of football and the highs.
A horrific leg break after a challenge from Ryan Shawcross against Stoke City saw his career threatened forever but the way he bounced back from that setback was remarkable.
The 2013/14 campaign, one where the north London side won the FA Cup courtesy of the Welshman's extra-time goal, was a particularly notable one.
He was in sparkling form that season, evoking memories of a prime Frank Lampard, arriving late in the box to score many a goal. It is that trait that would now make him perfect for Arteta's number 8 role, having scored 16 goals and registered ten assists across all competitions in 34 outings.
That form was sadly never replicated but the Wales international was never scared of the big moments.
Ramsey scored three times in the north London derby, twice against Liverpool and proved a handful for Manchester City, netting once and picking up four assists in 19 meetings.
Who could forget his remarkable Champions League goal against Galatasaray either? Handed the ball from long-range after a corner, he drove home a fizzing effort that nearly broke the net.
All in all, Ramsey departed the club having found the net on 64 occasions in 369 matches, winning two FA Cups, and having even been valued at a whopping £50m in 2016.
Why did Aaron Ramsey leave Arsenal?
The midfielder's departure from the club came in rather sad circumstances during Emery's tenure, as he fled the Emirates in 2019.
Remembering what happened, he once told the media: "It all happened… I agreed to a contract they [Arsenal] proposed. Things went quiet for a few weeks. I was telling my agent, 'Let's do it', then all of a sudden the contract was no longer there. So there was nothing to sign or agree.
'It was a difficult start for a few months with Unai. As the season was going on, I was playing more and playing really well.'Then January came and I had to make a decision whether I carried on and saw what happened or whether I agreed [to sign] somewhere [else].'
The Cardiff City academy graduate would then join Juventus on a free transfer that summer, saying: "I decided to do that [move] because there was nothing on the table."
Bizarre circumstances for a player who had given so much of his life to Arsenal.
Where is Aaron Ramsey now?
The 83-cap international didn't enjoy the most fruitful of stints in Italy, scoring just six times in 70 appearances for the Old Lady, before he joined Rangers on loan for a short spell in the back end of the 2021/22 campaign.
Ramsey spent a year at Nice last term but now plays his football back with his boyhood club, Cardiff.
Despite seeing his value crash as a result of his departure from Arsenal, with Football Transfers' xTV (expected transfer value) rating him at £3m, he has enjoyed his time back on British shores.
Throughout this campaign to date, Ramsey has scored on three occasions already in just six Championship outings.
There may well be a sense of regret about how his time at Arsenal ended, but it's phenomenal to see the Welshman back smiling and enjoying his football again.