Arsenal Vs Bournemouth: This is who Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was largely anonymous in Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Bournemouth on Sunday. And then he scored the winning goal. That is precisely who he is.

They say that the best centre-forwards offer more than just goals. Thierry Henry was renowned for his assist totals, his creativity, not just his goals. Harry Kane’s hold-up play is every bit as significant as his ability to make the net ripple. But sometimes it is difficult to see past other-worldly goal tallies, even when complementary aspects of a player’s game are somewhat lacking.

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It is a nice thing to say, that a striker provides more than goals. But you never heard much criticism around Robin van Persie who was almost an exclusive finisher. That is because goals shroud the truth, they provide us with a rose-tinted perspective that we happily buy into. Goals, after all, are what the game is about.

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Arsenal squeezed past a dangerous Bournemouth team on Sunday afternoon thanks to a sliding finish from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. They did not deserve to win. They did not play especially well. They did not create all that many opportunities. But when they needed a goal in the second half, it was that man Aubameyang who stepped up to the mark, his eighth of the season, a league-leading tally.

Aubameyang was largely anonymous as the lone centre-forward. He had just 33 touches and made just 25 passes. He was rarely involved in the build-up play; it would have been easy to forget that he was playing at all. And yet, when he was needed to do what he does best, he provided.

It was a goal that was wonderfully illustrative of his anticipation, his movement and knack for scoring goals, indicative of the staggering numbers that he has put up throughout his career. For Arsenal, in the Premier League, Aubameyang has averaged a goal every 111.4 minutes of action. That is a truly world-class number.

But do his goals shroud the lack of overall influence that he has on games? Take the first two games of the season, losses to Chelsea and Manchester City. Aubameyang played as a lone striker in both. He was typically isolated throughout, missed a myriad of chances against Chelsea, and failed to substantially impact the match.

The best centre-forwards can change games without scoring goals. That means that they consistently have an impact on proceedings, even in the big games when their team lacks consistent and controlled possession. Is Aubameyang’s goal tally enough to overcome his lack of overall influence?

Ultimately, this is just who he is as a player. He will never be a Diego Costa or Harry Kane. He will always be goalscorer first, playmaker second. It is up to Unai Emery and Arsenal to work with that, rather than try and adapt it.