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Nov. 29 (UPI) -- Premier League soccer club Arsenal fired manager Unai Emery Friday, ending the coach's tenure after 18 months. The Gunners have been winless in their last seven games. Eintracht beat Arsenal 2-1 in the Europa League Thursday at Emirates Stadium in London.
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"Our most sincere thanks go to Unai and his colleagues who were unrelenting in their efforts to get the club back to competing at the level we all expect and demand," Arsenal owner Josh Kroenke said in a news release. "We wish Unai and his team nothing but future success."
Arsenal said the decision to fire Emery was "due to results and performances not being at the level required." Freddie Ljungberg will serve as the Gunners' interim coach while the team searches for Emery's replacement.
Arsenal hired Emery, 48, in May 2018 to replace longtime coach Arsene Wenger. Emery previously coached at Lorca Deportiva, Almeria, Valencia, Spartak Moscow, Sevilla and Paris Saint-Germain, before landing at Arsenal.
"Thank you Unai Emery and Javi [goalkeeper coach Javi Garcia]. I'm sorry we let you down," Arsenal goalie Emiliano Martinez tweeted Friday. "It's our fault for not performing the right way. I'm sure we will meet again."
The Gunners sit in eighth place in the Premier League after a fifth-place finish last season. The Gunners finished sixth in 2017-2018. Arsenal returns to Premier League play with a game against Norwich City at 9 a.m. EST Sunday in Norwich, England.
