The Gunners chief says they have no objections to a striker who has hit 11 goals this season and who remains an important part of future plans
Mikel Arteta has dismissed allegations that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has “gone overboard” and “lost his power”, with the Arsenal boss convinced that the Gunners’ club captain still plays an important role at the Emirates Stadium.
Questions were asked of a Gabonese striker during the 2020-21 campaign, with a 31-year-old tied for a winning contract proving he was not as plentiful as he was recently.
But Aubameyang has 11 goals to his name across all competitions and maintains the full support of his manager, no matter what others think.
What was said?
Former Premier League star Jamie Redknapp, who represented the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham in his spare days, Sky Sports: “Aubameyang is over his best. He has times to go; he’s going to get a hat-often.
“But when I see him sometimes, it’s as if he’s lost his power.
“I saw him run past people when he first came to the Premier League. I saw him running past people at Dortmund. Now I see a player who looks like he’s going to get bullied. ”
How has Arteta responded?
The Gunners’ manager has told reporters: “I have not seen these comments. I have heard about them.
“I’m here to support every player and that’s what I try to do all the time.
“I try to give them the best advice and when they have a difficult time, stay right behind them and that’s what we always try to do.
The Spaniard added Aubameyang, who recorded his first hat-trick in the Premier League in a 4-2 win over Leeds on February 14 but has gone two games without finding the target since then: “ I think the best way to talk is always on the pitch.
“Seven days earlier when he did the hat-trick and when he could win four or five against Leeds, he was again the main one.
“He could have easily challenged Benfica with a hat-trick with his victories and it would have been different.
“At the end [of the day] it’s about putting the ball in the back of the net for him and that’s how he can rejoice. ”
The bigger picture
Aubameyang has been a talismanic presence for three years in north London, with 81 hits recorded in 134 appearances.
He has taken on the responsibilities of captain and has promoted Arsenal to the glory of the FA Cup and Community Shield in 2020.
These efforts have earned him new conditions, with his future tied for 2023, but there have been suggestions this season that a proven player has allowed his standards to drop behind the scenes. that agreement.
He has hit the target six times through nine rounds in 2021, however, and looks to further criticize his critics by firing the Gunners past Benfica on Thursday and into the last 16 of the Europa League.