LONDON (REUTERS) – Arsenal have by no means mentioned promoting under-performing striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, supervisor Mikel Arteta mentioned on Friday (Dec 10) as he backed the Gabon participant to hit a goalscoring streak quickly.
Aubameyang signed a brand new three-year contract with the north London facet final 12 months however has struggled this season, scoring solely 4 Premier League targets – the final of which was in October in opposition to Aston Villa.
Arsenal, who host Southampton within the league on Saturday, could have been tempted to money in on the 32-year-old striker in subsequent month’s switch window however Arteta mentioned that was not being thought-about.
“We’ve by no means mentioned one thing like this (promoting Aubameyang) and when gamers are beneath issue what we now have to do is give them help,” the Spaniard advised a information convention. “It is all about patches. Each participant has patches and moments. It is about making an attempt to keep up it so long as attainable and attempt to scale back it once they do not.”
Arsenal have slipped to seventh within the league standings after back-to-back defeats to take a seat 4 factors off fourth place. Nonetheless, Arteta was satisfied his facet would ultimately reap the rewards for his or her performances.
“It is painful and much more painful for me due to the best way we misplaced these video games. Throughout the 2 matches I believe we deserved rather more than two defeats. It occurred, so we now have to handle that actuality,” he mentioned.
Arteta can be boosted by the return of younger winger Emile Smith Rowe, who has recovered from an damage. The 21-year-old has been one in all Arsenal’s standout gamers this season with 5 targets and two assists within the league.
Southampton, sixteenth, have by no means received a Premier League recreation at Arsenal and go into the match on the lookout for their first victory in 5 matches after beating Villa in early November.