Mikel Arteta is doing well at Arsenal. Unai Emery is doing well at Aston Villa. We've forgotten about his disastrous tenure now, haven't we? It's all water under the bridge?
Perhaps not quite yet. During Emery's time at the Emirates Stadium, it was full of heartache and pain.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery
It was never going to be easy following Arsene Wenger and to the Spaniard's credit, he did reach a Europa League final.
However, fans were easily frustrated with the style of football and most notably the results. That loss to Frankfurt in November 2019 in front of what felt like an empty Emirates was the final straw.
In walked Arteta and what a turnaround it has been since, with the former midfielder leading the Gunners to successive title challengers, although yet to get over the line.
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It's worked out for Emery too who has sensationally led Villa to the Champions League group stage.
So, shall we take a trip down memory lane? Why not.
Unai Emery's transfers at Arsenal
It's safe to say that Emery didn't get a lot right while he was at Arsenal and that included the club's transfer business.
The Ivorian was signed for a then club-record fee of £72m but didn't enjoy much success in north London, scoring just 27 goals in 112 matches.
Subsequently sent out on loan during Arteta's reign, he then left on a free transfer. Talk about poor business.
Emery allegedly didn't even want him either, instead preferring Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha. What might have been, eh?
It wasn't all doom and gloom though. Emery was the man to help bring William Saliba to Arsenal and there's also Gabriel Martinelli who has been a bargain acquisition at just £6m.
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Gabriel Martinelli's transfer value in 2024
The winger may have struggled to find his best form over the last 12 months or so but there is no doubting how good a signing he has been and he's now worth a very pretty penny.
Indeed, according to CIES Football Observatory, the 23-year-old is worth a staggering £88m, making him the third-highest valued Brazilian footballer in the world. Not bad.
Why is he worth so much? Well, possessing explosive attributes and the ability to cause chaos for some of the best defenders on the globe, he's proven himself to be one of the most exciting young forwards around. In the words of Rio Ferdinand, he is a "massive talent".
In the 2022/23 season, he was Arsenal's joint-top scorer with 15 goals, evidence that he was one of their most important players in the title challenge of that campaign.
Since then, however, he's not had it all his own way. The arrival of Leandro Trossard in January 2023 has caused him some problems. Often in and out of the starting lineup, Martinelli scored just eight times - six of which came in the league - throughout the 2023/24 term.
That being said, he is now starting to rediscover himself on Arsenal's left flank in the new campaign having contributed four times in his last three games (two goals and two assists).
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Quickly finding his feet in the Arsenal team again, Martinelli is demonstrating exactly why he is worth such a mighty sum of cash. If the Gunners ever were to get rid, they could do so knowing they'd receive a hefty amount of profit.
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