FRANK’S GOT NEW RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
Toon boss Rafa’s ‘courage’ – and collection of trophies – inspires Emery to succeed at Gunners
DERBY’S hit squad aren’t too keen on spending time in the kitchen on this evidence.
Boss Frank Lampard has demanded sharper finishing from his forwards after a lean spell threatened to sabotage their place in the play-offs.
And one of the penalties for sloppy work in shooting practice is players being forced to make dinner... and serve it.
Martyn Waghorn (above) tucked in against a wafer-thin Rotherham defence with his first hat-trick in English football – on his 244th appearance – scoring twice from the penalty spot and heading another goal.
Bradley Johnson, the influential Mason Mount – back after a two-month injury lay-off – and Duane Holmes rubbed salt into the Millers’ wounds with a header from captain Richard Wood the only response.
Waghorn said: “The gaffer gets involved in the shooting group – and he has still got a bit, to be fair.
“We were raring to go here. We know what is on the line in the run-in.
“Getting the hat-trick in English football is something I have always wanted to achieve.
“A steward got the match ball for me. My little boy will no doubt take it off me and use it as a football round the house.”
Tempers flared among the visitors when team-mates Jerry Yates and Jon Taylor had to be separated late in the first half.
Taylor was replaced at half-time by manager Paul Warne, who said: “They play on the edge – that’s the way that they are.
”That incident summed up a bad day at the office.”
DERBY:
The Emirates,
UNAI EMERY has revealed he is such a big fan of Rafa Benitez he regards the Newcastle boss as a reference point for his entire career.
The Arsenal manager knows Benitez from their time in Spain and says he has huge respect for the former Real Madrid and Valencia coach.
Tonight, the pair come face to face as Emery bids to keep the Gunners in the hunt for a topfour finish and Benitez aims to lift the Magpies further clear of trouble.
But Emery admits he would love to follow in the successful footsteps of his fellow Spaniard, who has won 11 major honours in his career, including the Champions League.
The Arsenal boss, who has eight major honours to his name, said: “I respect him a lot because he’s a very good coach, has a lot of experience and a lot of titles.
“Here in England he has more experience than me. It’s a big reference for us, for me, as a coach, his work and his courage.”
Pressure is mounting on Emery to get the Gunners back in the Champions League this season to boost his transfer budget for the summer.
But Benitez, who in September backed Emery (above) to succeed at the Emirates, is facing a different kind of pressure these days just trying to keep the Magpies in the top flight.
Asked which of them he believed has the harder job these days, former Sevilla and Paris Saint-Germain chief Emery smiled and said: “Both of us.”
Victory tonight would mean Arsenal equalling last season’s points tally of 63 with seven games still to play, a clear sign of progress from the end of the Arsene Wenger era.
Emery said: “Each match gives us the possibility to progress. First is in the table, second is improving as a team, in our system, tactically and individually.
“I want to be better each match and I think each player can progress. Each player can show us he is improving.
“In the table, our objective is very clear – to be in the top four. But we know this is difficult and each possibility like Monday is good. It gives us confidence for the challenge.”
Arsenal are sweating on an injury to Granit Xhaka, and look set to rest the midfielder, who was unable to train as usual this week after returning from Switzerland duty.
With Lucas Torreira suspended, Matteo Guendouzi is likely to come into midfield alongside Aaron Ramsey, who is expected to shake off a thigh problem. Alexandre Lacazette to score the first goal