Arsenal: There’s nothing to worry about Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Unai Emery has conceded that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is a little short of confidence. Even after the Arsenal striker’s disastrous performance against Chelsea, there is no need to worry.

It has been a difficult start to the season for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Gabon centre-forward, who arrived six months prior and is Arsenal’s record signing, was expected to lead the line and challenge for the Golden Boot. After two games, it’s been a poor start.

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And more than the absence of goals, the nature of his performances have been troubling. Against Manchester City, he was completely isolated for large portions of the match, with the City possessional play and high pressing restricting the service that Arsenal’s midfield could provide their lone centre-forward.

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Last weekend, against Chelsea, the issue was less receiving service and more finishing it off when it came. Aubameyang missed two gilt-edged opportunities in the first half from cut-backs, both of which he would have been expected to convert easily.

Aubameyang’s troubles have led to some criticism, with a stat on social media highlighting the disparity in his ‘big chances missed per goal’ in comparison to the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Harry Kane and Sergio Aguero, with his rate over three times worse than Lukaku’s.

And Unai Emery has conceded that the striker is not at his most confident in his current form. Speaking with the media prior to West Ham United’s trip to the Emirates on Saturday, Emery stated that Aubameyang need to find his confidence, but tempered concerns by asserting his confidence that the goals will come:

"“Aubameyang needs to find the confidence, then to score and another to score. The striker, they need, I know a lot of strikers in my career and it’s about the moment, they need the moment, and he’s the same. Last year, Aubameyang scored goals here and, for that, I spoke with him more times and I have given him my confidence with his work. He is going to find goals. The first six months for him here is good and he was doing goals last year and, for that, I am sure he is going to do the same this time.”"

Emery is right. The goals will come. Although it is a little worrying that Aubameyang has missed many clear-cut opportunities, he has always been a slightly wasteful player. The reason he scores so many goals is not the ruthlessness of his finishing. It is the quality, the intelligence and the speed of his movement to create an inordinate number of chances. He simply plays the probability game.

Unfortunately for a striker, missing chances is part and parcel of the role. They may be tasked with scoring goals, but, sometimes, the goals dry up, mistakes are made, and chances are wasted. It would be far more worrying if Aubameyang wasn’t getting the chances in the first place, like against City, for example.

So yes, it is a little frustrating to see a £56 million striker miss such easy opportunities. And yes, it is disappointing that, two matches into the season, he is yet to score. But that does not mean that there is anything to worry about with Aubameyang. As Emery says, the goals will come.