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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is not too concerned about club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s recent lack of goals. The Gabon international’s future was the talk of the town during the summer, with the player linked to a move to Barcelona. However, Aubameyang ultimately decided against an exit from the Emirates Stadium and penned a new three-year deal with Arsenal.
The former Borussia Dortmund striker joined the Gunners from the Bundesliga side in January 2018. He finished the 2017/18 season with ten goals from 14 appearances in all competitions, convincing Arsenal fans that they finally had a player in their team worthy of the fabled jersey No. 14.
In his first full season, Aubameyang managed 31 goals from 51 appearances, including 22 goals from 36 games in the league, which won him the 2018/19 Premier League golden boot. Last season, the Gabon international found the back of the net 29 times from 44 appearances, which included 22 goals from 36 in the league once again.
Aubameyang narrowly missed out on his second Premier League golden boot, but it was clear that Arsenal had one of the best strikers of the world in their ranks.
Since deciding to extend his stay with the Gunners, though, the Gabon international has been going through an uncharacteristic dry spell. Aubameyang managed just one goal in the first five appearances in the Premier League this season, an alarmingly poor return for a player of his caliber. However, the Arsenal manager is hardly losing his sleep over his skipper’s lack of goals.
Arsenal manager not too bothered with Aubameyang’s dry spell
When he was asked about Aubameyang’s dry spell, Arteta mentioned that even though a striker’s lack of goals could always be a cause of concern, the Arsenal’s skipper’s performance on the pitch has not been a problem.
"With all the strikers, if you ask when they don’t score for two or three games if there are concerns, in my opinion the performance was not [a cause]"
The Arsenal manager went on to point out that the Gabon international was getting into good positions to score and also revealed that he was determined to help the player to get into those positions as often as possible.
"He could have scored again on Saturday in a one-vs-one situation that normally he does. It’s trying to get in better positions as frequently as we can to try to give him the best possible chance."
With or without his goals, Aubameyang continues to be one of the most important pieces of Arteta’s Arsenal puzzle. The Gabon international was crucial in his team’s FA Cup triumph, even scoring twice in Arsenal’s win over Chelsea in the final.
He also found the back of the net when the Gunners won the Community Shield at the start of the season. So Gunners fans, like their manager, will be quietly confident that their talisman will overcome his lack of goals and get back to firing on all cylinders soon.
