RESURGENT ARSENAL have to do all they can to retain the services of Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, reports the Voice of Sport from Emirates Stadium.

The African poacher bagged a brace against Everton in a pulsating 3-2 win (Feb 23) to register 17 top flight goals for the season.

His manager Mikel Arteta spoke post-match of his admiration for Aubameyang, who worked tirelessly in attack and defence.

“I’m so happy with him. Obviously he’s scoring very important goals for us but as a captain, he’s giving a great example to everybody else that a player of his calibre is able to work in the way he is working defensively.”

Asked about his initial doubts regarding the striker when he first took the role, Arteta clarified the questions he now has answers for.

“I had two questions: one is he doesn’t want to do it [defensive work] or he cannot do it. So once I found out that physically he can do it, it was just about convincing him he has to do it every three days, and he’s doing that.”

Arsenal extended their best run of the season and took an important step towards securing European football with the win against the Toffees, bringing Arteta’s side to within four points of Manchester United in fifth place.

“He’s giving a great example to everybody else”

Mikel Arteta, Arsenal head coach

For those who witnessed the 90 minutes of dross served up by these two teams almost two months ago to the day – a catatonic scoreless draw – evidence of progressive ideas already imparted by both managers was clear. 

Arteta made one change from Arsenal’s second half demolition of Newcastle, with Sead Kolasinac replacing Bukayo Saka at left back, only for the Bosnian to be substituted early in the first half following an awkward mid-air collision with Djibril Sidibé. Everton meanwhile, whose away record at Arsenal is nothing short of woeful (no wins in their last 23), started with the returning Fabian Delph partnering Morgan Schneiderlin in midfield and Alex Iwobi starting on his Emirates return.

With the home fans still finding their seats, the game exploded into life after David Luiz failed to deal with a free-kick in the opening minutes. The ball ricocheted off the Brazilian’s back and inadvertently set up Dominic Calvert-Lewin for his 14th goal in all competitions this season, which he dispatched stylishly with an overhead kick. 

Arsenal equalised just before the half hour mark after Saka delivered an inch perfect cross for Eddie Nketiah to steer home – taking the winger’s assist tally to double figures for the season. Minutes later and Arsenal were ahead courtesy of a sublime Luiz through ball, which Aubameyang latched onto and swept effortlessly into the bottom corner without breaking stride. 

With half-time looming Arsenal found themselves pegged back following more inexplicable defending from a set piece. This time a corner was not properly dealt with, Gylfi Sigurdsson’s volley ballooned up from the turf giving Yerry Mina the opportunity to out jump Shkodran Mustafi and flick the ball on to Richarlison, who poked home from close range.

SPACE

Whatever Arteta said at half time worked. Within seconds of the restart Nicolas Pepe found himself in space on the left and delivered an in-swinging cross that Aubameyang headed powerfully in off the ground after being gifted far too much space. Despite finishing the stronger of the two teams, Everton were unable to find an equaliser that would have maintained pressure on a European place for next season.

Speaking after the game, Carlo Ancelotti bemoaned his team’s poor defending but was encouraged by what he’d seen offensively. “I’m really disappointed. To be good you have to attack well, which we did, and you have to defend well, which we didn’t.”

“The second half, offensively, was really good. We were really dangerous. We have two fantastic strikers up front and we have to use this because it’s not easy to score two goals away. But the good thing from this game is we are really clear about what we have to do this week.”