Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been “atrocious” for Arsenal this season, says Paul Merson, with the Gabonese striker accused of offering “absolutely nothing” to the out-of-sorts Gunners.
On the back of signing a lucrative new contract, the club captain at Emirates Stadium was expected to spearhead quests for more major silverware in 2020-21.
He has, however, delivered just four goals across all competitions, with only two of those efforts coming in an inconsistent Premier League campaign that has Arsenal sat in the bottom half of the table.
Questions have been asked of Aubameyang’s mindset on the back of penning fresh terms, while it has also been suggested that he needs to be brought in off the wing in order to rediscover his prolific touch.
Merson admits that something has to change in north London, with too many so-called stars underperforming for a Gunners side that have been making some surprising selection calls.
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"Arteta is struggling because his go-to players haven’t turned up this season and that is a big, big problem," former Arsenal star Merson told the Daily Star.
“Willian has not got going at all, and is having a real nightmare. And Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been atrocious.
“What does he bring to the party? Absolutely nothing at the moment. You need big performances from your big players when things aren’t going well. Arsenal aren’t getting that. That’s a dangerous thing.
“Has Aubameyang relaxed too much after signing his contract? Only he can answer that. But he’s not earning his money.”
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Merson added, with a World Cup-winning playmaker currently frozen out under Arteta: “Mesut Ozil would make a difference in this team. Who else have they got who can pick a pass or thread the ball through the eye of a needle? I really worry for Arsenal at the moment.
“Don’t get me wrong. Arteta is safe. They won’t make a change, so I don’t think he’s under that much pressure. He’s there for the long haul.
“But at the start of the season everyone was saying: ‘Oh it’s strong management leaving Ozil out’. I think it’s come back to haunt them now. They have no guile.
“I don’t even think they have a plan to get players like Aubameyang and Willian on the ball. They hardly touch it in some games. If you touch the ball 80 times in a game, you are going to do at least 10 good things.
“But I watch him in the Premier League and at the moment, Aubameyang is doing absolutely nothing at all.
“You have got to get them into the game. Get them more involved somehow. Arsenal are a bit too predictable. But they wouldn’t be so predictable with Ozil in the team.”
Things are not about to get any easier for Arsenal, as they prepare for a meeting with table-topping rivals Tottenham on Sunday, but a north London derby date could provide the springboard the Gunners need to get their domestic campaign back on track.
