Henrikh Mkhitaryan expects Unai Emery to uphold the attacking brand of football that has helped him to enjoy life at Arsenal more than he did at Manchester United under Jose Mourinho.
The 29-year-old endured two frustrating seasons at Old Trafford, making just 26 Premier League starts after joining from Borussia Dortmund in July 2016 for a fee in the region of £27million.
Mkhitaryan moved to the Emirates Stadium as part of the deal that took Alexis Sanchez in the opposite direction last January, and the Armenia star admits he has found it easier to adapt to the Gunners’ style of play.
“Arsenal have always played offensive football,” he told reporters in Singapore, where Arsenal are on International Champions Cup duties.
“I can just say I’m enjoying myself more here than I was in Manchester.”
Mkhitaryan’s switch to Arsenal saw him reunited with former Dortmund team-mate Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, with Sokratis Papastathopoulos arriving from BVB this month as Emery’s squad for 2018-19 takes shape.
Playing with old friends has added to an already positive atmosphere around the club, according to Mkhitaryan, who set his sights on the Premier League’s top four after last season’s disappointing sixth-place finish.
He said: “When I came to this club I felt the warmth of this team is really different, it’s like a family and everyone is taking care of you.
“It’s always nice to play with your old team-mates, with Aubameyang and Sokratis.
“We’re all looking forward to the new season and we’re going to try to do our best to help this team reach the top four of the Premier League.”
Mkhitaryan is an attacking midfielder, who is also capable of playing as a second striker or as a winger. He excels playing in a central role, just behind the strikers, where he often looks to link up with his teammates in and around the penalty area. He is known for his ability to draw away opposing defenders and, in turn, create space for his teammates to exploit, leading to goal scoring opportunities, courtesy of his offensive movement, technique, and vision. Mkhitaryan has also been praised for his precise passing, dribbling ability, creativity, ball control and work rate, as well as his eye for the final pass; his skill and trickery on the ball enables him to beat defenders in one on one situations. Furthermore, he possesses an accurate shot.
During the 2012–13 season, former Scottish footballer Pat Nevin said of Mkhitaryan, “Eleven goals in eight league matches already is fantastic, but when you add that he is a midfielder, it is phenomenal. You may not have heard of him yet, even if all the scouts at the top European clubs have, but you soon will. He has pace, skill, a rocket of a shot and the ability to arrive in the box like Frank Lampard. This all singles him out as a player who must be watched or more importantly marked.”