Arsenal Vs Newcastle United: The understated brilliance of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang opened his Premier League account on Sunday with a sensationally simple goal against Newcastle United. The finish beautifully illustrates the centre-forward’s understated brilliance.

Sergio Aguero has now been named in the PFA Team of the Year for the last two seasons. However, prior to 2018, the brilliant Argentinian had never been included. It seemed mad, largely because it was, but it pointed to a larger aspect of football analysis: pure goalscorers are predominantly underrated and overlooked.

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The modern game requires players to diversify their skill set and provide far more to the team than just one or two very specific elements. As a result, defenders who just defend are being replaced by those who can play out from the back. Goalkeepers now have to be good with their feet, not just their hands. Midfielders must press high and create chances. And strikers must do more than just score goals.

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Consequently, those whose games revolve around putting the ball in the back of the net and little else are often overlooked. Aguero used to be one of these — and still is, to some extent. And so is Arsenal centre-forward, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who opened his account for the new campaign with the only goal of Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Newcastle United.

Aubameyang’s goal was a perfect illustration of his prolific nature in front of goal. As soon as Ainsley Maitland-Niles steals the ball and drives down the right flank, the striker’s eyes light up. He uses the odd defending of Jamaal Lascelles to create space for himself, drifting away from the Newcastle centre-half into the acres of room at the far post. Maitland-Niles then found him a brilliant, floated switched pass.

However, there was still a lot of work to be done. The ball bounced high, an awkward height to be quickly brought under control. Aubameyang, though, did not panic. He used the outside of his right foot to control the ball and then very quickly and calmly prodded a shot up and over the onrushing Martin Dubravka. Plenty of lesser players would have squandered this opportunity, whether it be to rushing the shot, failing to precisely control the ball, or faltering under pressure of having a clear opening at goal. This was no easy finish, but Aubameyang made it look so.

He is now 21 goals away from his Golden Boot-winning tally last season. He has now scored 33 Premier League goals since his debut in February 2018. Ony Mohamed Salah, 36, has scored more. Even more impressively, Aubameyang has scored 32% of Arsenal’s league goals over the same period, a clear show of the dependency the team has on his prolific nature in front of goal.

Aubameyang does not offer much in open play. He struggles to hold up the ball, his touch is inconsistent at best, and he tends to go missing at times. But he works incessantly hard, his presssing crucial to the defensive structure Unai Emery is attempting to instil, and he knows where the goal is. It is an understated brilliance.

He rarely gets the plaudits that he deserves. Just like Aguero, he often flies under the radar, even sometimes playing in the shadow of his strike partner. But make no mistake about it, Aubameyang is truly brilliant, and Sunday’s victory proved it.