Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has admitted that Chelsea ace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has the quality to hurt his team in the upcoming London derby. Aubameyang, who joined the Blues in the summer, was iced by Arteta last season, leading to his premature departure from the club as a free agent.
Chelsea will welcome Arsenal to Stamford Bridge for their Premier League matchday 13 clash on Sunday afternoon (November 6).
Matches between the two London clubs have always been feisty, and this weekend’s encounter promises to be extra special, courtesy of the Aubameyang factor. It would mark Aubameyang’s first meeting with his former club, and the Gabonese is likely to do his best to make a tangible impact.
Speaking after his side’s Europa League win over FC Zurich on Thursday (November 3), Arteta commented on the threat Aubameyang possessed. Arteta told Arsenal.com:
“If Auba has something, it’s the ability to put the ball in the back of the net and he’s going to be doing that until the day that he decides he’s had enough of football.”
When asked how he hoped to stop the Chelsea center-forward, Arteta said:
“We will have to look first of all at what Chelsea do and try to put a plan together to avoid that.”
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta claims “different parties” were involved in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang transfer
The Gunners and Aubameyang mutually terminated the player’s contract in January 2022, leading to his free transfer to Barcelona. Aubameyang was a fan favorite during his four-and-a-half-season spell at the Emirates Stadium, which made his sudden departure all the more shocking.
Following the match against FC Zurich, Arteta opened up on the Chelsea no. 9’s departure at the start of the year, disclosing the involvement of other parties. When asked whether or not Aubameyang’s departure had benefitted both parties, Arteta said:
“Well, it’s a decision that we had to take and there are different parties involved. At the end of the day, when someone is not with us anymore and being a player and having the role that he had at the club and how important he was, you always wish everybody the best. When someone makes that decision to move somewhere else, they need to enjoy their profession and he seems to be happy.”
Aubameyang, who captained Arsenal between November 2019 and December 2021, played 163 games for Arsenal in all competitions, scoring 92 goals and claiming 21 assists.