Unai Emery admits Arsenal have no excuse for failing to improve their wretched away record when they face lowly Huddersfield on Saturday .
Emery ’ s side have lost their past three away games in the Premier League including a 3 - 1 loss at Manchester City last weekend .
With defeats at Southampton and West Ham among the other low - lights of Arsenal’ s travel- sick season , the thought of losing to bottom - of - the -table Huddersfield at the John Smith ’ s Stadium is too much for Emery to stomach.
A 2 - 1 win at Bournemouth on November 25 was the last time Emery ’ s side took three points on the road , but Huddersfield looks the perfect opponents after losing 11 of their past 12 league games.
Asked on Thursday if a win this weekend was essential, Emery told reporters: “ Yes . We started very well away, changing our mentality , but now we need to recover this confidence , to recover this performance and the next opportunity is against Huddersfield .
“ For us as well, away games have been a challenge and each match is a new challenge .
“ Each match is also a very big opportunity for us to fight for the possibility to take three points and continue better than how we are doing in away games now. ”
While Arsenal will be fancied to take three points home from Yorkshire , Emery insisted his players should not take success for granted against a team fighting to avoid relegation.
“ These matches are difficult and they are playing for the possibility to continue in the Premier League , ” he said.
“ Their last results have not been good but with their new coach ( Jan Siewert ) , I am sure that they are going to play with big ambition and a big performance on Saturday.
Emery ’ s tactics were criticised by some Arsenal fans after the loss to City , underlining the mounting sense of frustration as the north Londoners slipped down to sixth place.
Some even called for Emery to be sacked less than a season after he replaced Arsene Wenger , but the former Paris Saint- Germain boss is unfazed .
“ My first critic is always myself . I work over the criticisms of me because I know that work in the present can change our way , ” he said .
“ How we are doing at home and away, we are with the possibility and the opportunity of (finishing in ) the top four . ”
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