“He deserves that” – Mikel Arteta sends message to Aubameyang ahead of Arsenal vs Chelsea

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta sent a message to Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ahead of the clash between the two London sides. The Gunners and the Blues are set to clash in a Premier League showdown on Tuesday, May 2.

Aubameyang had a fallout with Arteta and mutually terminated his contract before joining Barcelona as a free agent. He then signed a two-year contract with Chelsea last year for a fee of €12 million.

In his pre-match press conference, Arteta was asked what kind of reception the Gabonese striker should expect upon his return to the Emirates. Arteta said (via Sport BIBLE):

“Let's say thank you, pay respect and gratitude for what he was. He was an incredible player for us, scored a lot of goals, he was our captain, and he deserves that.”

The current Chelsea striker scored 92 goals and provided 21 assists in 163 games before leaving the Gunners. He was also the north London-based club's captain.

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Chelsea manager Frank Lampard hinted Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang might start against Arsenal

Since his summer move to Chelsea, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has struggled for game time. He has scored three goals and has provided one assist in 20 matches for the Blues this season.

Interim manager Frank Lampard, however, suggested that the Gabonese could start against Arsenal given his history with the club.

Speaking to the media ahead of the Premier League showdown, Lampard said (via Chelsea's official website):

"Kai Havertz is in contention for the game, he’s trained this week. We’ll see who starts. I’ve got Auba, I’ve got Kai, I’ve got David Fofana. I’m not going to divulge the team but they're all fit and ready.

"Possibly Auba’s past with Arsenal might come into my thinking, because we all think a player going back to their old club gives a certain motivation. I haven’t delved into that too much with Auba himself, so I’ll pick that position on my feeling of how we’ve trained and what the team structure looks like."

The Gunners will have to win the game to keep their bid for the Premier League title alive. Arteta's team have 75 points on the board from 33 matches and trail Manchester City by a point, having played one game less.

Whether their former captain is deployed to hurt the team remains to be seen.