Okay, let’s not beat around the bush here – this season has been absolute shit for Arsenal fans. Here we are, we ripped off the bandage and took it out early – the only way is to go up.
The only shining light of the Gunners’ shocking season so far has been the emergence of some very talented youngsters. Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe in particular have been revelations in an Arsenal squad filled with overpaid, underperforming and seasoned internationals.
Even during the tough times at Arsenal, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang showed he is world class. ?
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– 90min (at 90min_Football) December 24, 2020
Mikel Arteta’s side’s 3-0 at Newcastle on Monday night was further proof of the quality of the pair, with the latter in particular producing a remarkable performance.
However, amid all the fanfare and fury against Arsenal’s youngsters, their best player’s return to form has almost passed under the radar.
It looked like it was gonna be one of those games for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – or should we say another one of those games – after the Gabon international inexplicably crushed his close effort to the woodwork when tasked with slapping home in a virtually empty net.
To his credit, he kept moving forward, desperate to add to his meager three league goals this season, and soon after the interval he got his award.
It might not have been the archetypal “off the back” goal that classically tends to break the sterile spell of an attacker, but it certainly wasn’t a vintage finish – despite what you may have. be thought of at first sight.
The Arsenal forward appeared to be attempting to wrap his left foot around the ball and flex his efforts on Karl Darlow in the Magpies’ goal, only to distort his boot and completely wrong the Newcastle keeper. It might have sounded impressive, although in truth Darlow just made a complete mess of it by jumping out of the way – but that was exactly what Aubameyang needed nonetheless.
A second quickly followed, and suddenly Arsenal’s main man was back in business, nearly doubling his league total for the season in the span of 27 minutes – suddenly the swagger and smile that we expected the Gunners captain were back.
There’s never a bad time for a man you pay £ 350,000 a week to decide to start playing, but Monday’s win over Newcastle was definitely a good it’s time for Aubameyang to introduce himself.
Arteta’s side have been on a good track lately – dropping just two points in their previous five league games – but talking about corner turns is ridiculously premature.
All four of the Gunners’ wins in their rich recent form vein have come against Newcastle, West Brom, Brighton and frankly appalling Chelsea team.
Much tougher tests are coming, with trips to Southampton and Leicester as well as home games with Manchester City and Manchester United before the end of February – in just over a month, Arteta’s men could look nervously over their shoulders again.
While Arsenal’s talented youngsters have no doubt provided a silver lining in what has essentially been a four-month thunderstorm since the start of the 2020/21 campaign, if the Gunners are to earn points in huge games against the Manchester duo and the high-flying foxes. and Saints, they need their best players to rise to the occasion and show both leadership and character.
On paper, Aubameyang’s brace against Newcastle was just a good player scoring two pretty basic goals against an absolutely abject team – in reality, the goals meant a lot more.
No football fan wants to see his talisman endure scorching weather in front of goal, but if you pick a time for him to find his shooting shoes, the game before a potentially season-defining series of matches isn’t a bad one. moment to choose.
