After a stuttering start to the Premier League season, the spotlight is firmly on Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and his lack of goals.
While questions will be raised about his form so far this term, there can be no doubting the Gabonese forward’s quality, and it should only be a matter of time before he is back making headlines for the right reasons.
Aubameyang bearing the brunt for Gunners’ shortcomings
With results not going Arsenal’s way at the start of the season, it’s only natural that the form of the club’s top players come under scrutiny. There is no bigger name at the Emirates than Aubameyang, and the club’s captain has been forced to shoulder plenty of the blame for the Gunners’ problems this term. Arsenal have some serious work to do if they are to secure Champions League football for next term, with the north London outfit 16/1 with William Hill to finish in the Premier League’s top four this season.
With just 10 goals scored in their first 12 league games of the campaign, there would always be attention brought on Aubameyang’s lack of goals. However, the 31-year-old did manage to win the Golden Boot in the 2019-20 Premier League season with 22 goals, and there is no doubting he can be a potent figure in front of goal. If Arsenal do turn their fortunes around, it will be more than likely that Aubameyang’s return to form will have coincided with a climb up the table.
Curse of the new contract strikes again
It has been well documented that Aubameyang’s downturn in form came after the former Borussia Dortmund star put pen to paper on a new mega deal at the Emirates. Of course there is not proof that the new deal has had any direct influence on the striker’s performances, but many of his critics have highlighted the situation, and it’s not the first time it’s happened at Arsenal.
Mesut Ozil is another case of a big earner at the north London outfit struggling after signing a big-money deal in the English capital. The former Germany international has tumbled down the pecking order at the club and now looks to have no future at Arsenal. Reports have suggested the 32-year-old is on £350,000 a week and Aubameyang is on even more.
While Ozil looks like he will soon be out of the door at Arsenal, unless there is a serious shift in the situation, Aubameyang looks like his long-term future is with the Gunners. Arsenal supporters will be hoping this lack of goals from their talisman is just a minor blip, and that he will be back to his best soon. Arsenal certainly need him back firing, as they are running a serious risk of missing out of any sort of European football for next season. For a club with the stature of Arsenal, that is unacceptable.
Aubameyang has bounced back strongly from setbacks in the past, and it seems to be a question of when, not if, the talented forward will be back to the peak of his powers.