Arsenal: 3 problems if Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang stays
By Josh Sippie
1. The youth block
Really the only major reason why I haven’t dreaded losing Aubameyang is because of who sits behind him—Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka. As of late, Arteta has moved youth aside to allow for Aubameyang to continue to rack up the goal tally and there’s nothing wrong with that.
But it does leave fans wondering what Martinelli and Saka can really do, and if we even need Aubameyang at all. It sounds crazy, but it’s true. Those are two incredibly talented young men who have accounted for so many goals and it’s perfectly feasible that they could cover for Aubameyang. If not one of them, certainly the two combined.
Blocking the progression of youth is never a good idea, and I don’t know if I’ve ever seen two young players more ready to take on the challenges of starter duties. But we won’t know what they’re capable of as long as Aubameyang is blocking their progress.
Unless, of course, we let Aubameyang play striker again. Which is a question in and of itself.