Emery’s future at Arsenal has come under serious scrutiny in the wake of recent results. Controversy has plagued the Gunners of late and when there is no disappointment on the pitch, it’s coming off it as is the case of Granit Xhaka and Mesut Ozil (only until recently). Much recently, a report by Goal suggested Aubameyang was considering leaving the club if the “poor form” continues and while that might seem outright cold, there’s much room to justify the 30-year-old’s actions (if they do happen).
It’s not debatable that Aubameyang has been Arsenal’s most important player this season. As you’d expect considering he has scored just half of Arsenal’s goals this season, Aubameyang’s strikes have been crucial to their overall points tally.
The vice-captain scored the decisive goal against Newcastle on the opening day of the season and has since followed that up with winners against Burnley and that free-kick Aston Villa. Not only that, Aubameyang netted equalizing goals against both Spurs and Manchester United and scored twice to put Arsenal 2-0 in front before their draw against Watford. The message is clear that without the Gabonese, Arsenal would be in a funny position on the League standings.
Asides David Luiz’s winner against Bournemouth being the exception to the rule, generally speaking, Arsenal only tend to win in the Premier League this season if Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been on the score sheet. Aubameyang has scored eight of Arsenal’s 16 league goals this season, accounting for 50% of their overall total. Only Norwich City are more reliant on their leading marksman with Teemu Pukki’s six goals making up 34% of their eleven.
On Aubameyang’s future, the Telegraph were the first to report an exclusive claiming he could quit the club at the end of the season if there was no Champions League football.
Aubameyang’s goal over the weekend was his 50th for the club – making him the seventh-quickest player to reach the tally in the club’s history.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has now scored 50 goals for Arsenal across all competitions.
Just the 78 games needed to reach his half-century. pic.twitter.com/Ba5gvC7A0o
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) November 2, 2019
The report says Arsenal have been trying to get the former Dortmund star to sign a new contract.
But he wants to play in the Champions League and, with the north Londoners currently on course to strut their stuff in the Europa League next term, he’s refusing to sign on the dotted line.
It further highlights the struggles of Emery altogether and suggests the Spaniard might not have a good command of things in the dressing room.
From Aubameyang’s point of view, it’s understandable to see why he’ll think that way. He has done his job properly well since joining the club and his goal tally involvement of 50 in 78 games (Transfermarkt) is pretty solid especially around the ill-fortunes that have plagued Arsenal since he joined the club.
Not just this season alone, but since the very start since he joined.
Since his arrival from Borussia Dortmund on the final day of the January transfer window in 2018, his goals have won the Gunners 31 points. No other player at any other Premier League side even gets close to that total.
While his departure from Borussia Dortmund might have been plagued with some controversy, the reality is that he left as a world-class striker and any club would have been greatly improved with him in their ranks as has been the case for Arsenal. Normally, players move with the basic idea if a “greener pasture” or with the hope that their involvement in a team will improve their chances of achieving a certain goal.
That was probably the case for Aubameyang when he decided to leave a Champions League team for a team playing in the Europa. Approaching two years since his arrival, the Gabonese is yet to taste UCL action with the club and Arsenal don’t look any better getting to it next season.
Back in the summer, Aubameyang rejected a “crazy money offer” from China and to some extent that shows the 30-year-old still has some ambition in him to perform at the top level. Whether that future is at Arsenal, time will tell on that.
