Arsenal: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and the truly elite

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has made a sterling start to life at the Emirates. However, there is still more to be done if the Arsenal striker is to be a member of the truly elite.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang arrived at Arsenal in the January transfer window with a reputation as a prolific goalscorer. His record at Borussia Dortmund spoke for itself — 141 goals in 213 games in all competitions, as well as 21 goals in 24 games in the half-season prior to his transfer. So far, he has proven that.

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In seven Premier League starts, Aubameyang has scored six goals, failing to score in just two of those seven games. That is a remarkable record, even if it is perhaps helped by the anomalies that can arise from a small sample size. But do goals alone make him a truly elite centre-forward?

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Compare Aubameyang to the likes of Harry Kane, Sergio Aguero, Luis Suarez, Robert Lewandowski. There is certainly an argument to be made that those players offer more to the team than what Aubameyang does. They may all score an inordinate amount of goals, but they bring more than just making the net ripple. They hold-up play. They stretch the channels. They bring their teammates into the game. They provide a focal point for the attack. They occupy defenders when their team is under defensive pressure. Does Aubameyang do the same?

I think it is fair to say ‘not yet’. Not that he is incapable of doing it, but that he has not yet shown that he can consistently do it. But he is working on it. That is according to Arsene Wenger. Speaking ahead of Sunday’s trip to Newcastle, a game in which Aubameyang will be looking to add to his four-game scoring streak, Wenger revealed that Aubameyang is working on a number of aspects of his game:

"“He’s worked hard. I feel he was not completely ready physically when he joined us but he worked very hard in training. He worked a lot technically as well, and has improved his touch. He’s quick now, sharp, intelligent and I think he enjoys being part of the group. You feel that when he plays and that’s why he’s very interesting.”"

The traits that Wenger lists — technical skill, touch, sharpness, intelligence — are not necessarily directly attributed to goalscoring. While they certainly help, they are more aligned with his overall play, his work with the ball at his feet, the intelligence and synchronicity of his movement to engineer space for others, his hold-up ability, his involvement in play in deeper positions.

And this, for me, is where Auabameyang must improve if I am to consider him as a truly elite striker. He is a world-class goalscorer. That much is unquestionable. But does he offer the same all-around package that, say, a Harry Kane or Sergio Aguero does?

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I certainly believe he is capable of it. Wenger clearly believes he is capable of it. But on current showing, I am not quite sure I have seen it yet. There is still time, obviously, but Aubameyang is not quite elite just yet.