Arsenal: 3 reasons why Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is not a striker

3 of 3

PIRAEUS, GREECE – FEBRUARY 20: Ousseynou Ba of Olympiacos FC battles for possession with Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal during the UEFA Europa League round of 32 first leg match between Olympiacos FC and Arsenal FC at Karaiskakis Stadium on February 20, 2020 in Piraeus, Greece. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) /

1. His touch is poor

Not only does Aubameyang not enjoy dropping into midfield and linking up play as a centre-forward, he isn’t very good at it. His first touch is loose at times, his dribbling relies on his speed and athleticism but lacks control, while his passing is inconsistent when looking to feed runners ahead of him.

Contrast Aubameyang to Alexandre Lacazette. Lacazette has more touches, creates more chances, including six for Aubameyang, more than any current Arsenal player, boasts a higher pass completion rate, and attempts twice as many dribbles per 90 and completes more than he fails, unlike Aubameyang who fails 0.7 of his 1.2 attempts per 90.

Can Aubameyang play the linking focal point role that most modern teams now require from their centre-forward? Of course. He is still a very capable footballer. But when compared to the elite options around the Premier League his close control is markedly worse than the likes of Sergio Aguero, Roberto Firmino and Lacazette.

Next. Arsenal: 3 reasons to sell Alexandre Lacazette. dark

When playing out wide, then, he receives the ball with more time to control it, has more space to run into and beat a defender, and gets to face forwards, running towards the goal. These are situations at which his poor touch is not as detrimental and are why he should no longer be considered a striker.

Home/Arsenal News