Auba Finds His Smile Just In The Nick Of Time! By Dan Smith
I wrote in my predictions post how Arsenal could do with a win to take some confidence into the Benfica tie. Essentially the two games with the Portuguese giants could end our season. So with a lot of pressure already on Thursday’s game, it wouldn’t have been ideal to have gone 4 matches without a win.
Suddenly it’s Benfica who might be thinking it’s a bad time to play us. In their last 8 matches the Portuguese giants have taken just 11 out of 24 points, are 10 points off top, been knocked out of the League Cup and lost The Super Cup. So the under-pressure Jorge Jesus won’t enjoy seeing the Gunners finally click at home.
The only way you improve self-belief is by winning and build from there. Think of our form heading into Boxing Day. Beating Chelsea 3-1 came out of nowhere and suddenly we went on a little run.
So in terms of squeezing out as much confidence from the Leeds fixture as possible, Sunday couldn’t have gone better for Mikel Arteta. Not just do we travel to Italy on the back of 3 points and 4 goals but crucially a hat trick from Aubameyang.
If there’s one player we needed to have a good weekend it was our captain. It’s too early to say it’s the start of a hot streak but if he feels like the Auba of last year, then he can be the difference between us staying in the Europa League or not.
It’s not just the lack of goals that have been uncharacteristic, but his work rate and body language has returned to what it was in the final months of Unai Emery.
Auba’s post-match interview confirmed he’s been dealing with personal issues off the field, something he’s grateful for his employers supporting him with. He wouldn’t want something as serious as his mother’s health to be used as any excuse, but he’s clearly a player who needs to be happy to be at his best and in his own words ‘it’s time to smile again.’
Why he’s so popular with the fan base is he’s relatable. Despite being a millionaire he still loves super heroes, comic books and Wrestling. He’s what I would be if I was a footballer and rich. Maybe he’s one of those artists where it’s all or nothing?
Some can use adversity to make them better, others need to be feeling positive.
I believe to win any trophy you need some luck that can be out of your hands.
Could we sit in May and say thank goodness that four days before the Benfica 1st leg, Aubameyang found his 😃?
Be kind in the comments
Dan
Good to see him back……on a norms we eat smaller teams for breakfast. These where he gets major of his goals from….we should put a good fight against Man city…..Benfica not in their best at the moment LOL
we will lose to City – lets not get carried away
Its all about putting up a good fight. City are more in form. If we can pull a draw from the match its a plus. Its just how we play the game. Remember pep has only plan A…. possession and attack….Arteta can somehow find a tatctic that will work….. we can even win d game. He did it last season FA
More in form?
Just by a little bit lol 16 consecutive wins to our 1 win in 4
Yes we won in the Cup
we also lost 3-0 , 1-0 and 1-4 so the Plan A seems to work
Exactly FA cup should be a reminder cos no one gave us a chance then
I hope… Hope* Arsenal ends up going all in for the Europa league and end up winning it.
For the life of me I can’t stand another season in the Europa league for another season 😭😭
Though I haven’t seen a single Europa league game since the second year we missed UCL.
I’m yet to see a game this season, but the boys have my full support.
Regarding the article, having an in-form PEA would be dangerous for any team, as last season already prove if he’s in form, he can cause serious damages to oppositions.
On Thursday, Line up should be Martinelli-Laca-Pepe.
Is it not kinda strange that this is Aubameyang’s first hatrick in the EPL?
You don’t say!
Really surprising for the fact that he has scored a lot of goals
I was surprised when Aubameyang was re-assigned to the CF position, after a series of his bad performances there. Arteta turns out to be smarter than any fans, pundits and even Bielsa, because his tactic of interchanging attacker positions worked really well
Our midfielders’ close control skills made us able to dominate the ball possession in the first half and Pepe would have to improve his ball control ability if he wants to be a starter again
How I wish he will apply his smartness to get top 4! Time is still in his favour if he wish (or one would say capable) of taking it.
I think the five red cards have made a top four finish impossible, but EL is still attainable
The red cards are in the past lets talk about the future. Arteta is ONLY 6 points off top 4 with 14 games to go. He is still in the EL.
He should apply his smartness to get to the top 4 or win the EL. Of the two the former is more achievable than the latter.
Those should not be a tall task to a clever manager with the best tactics ever seen, best tactics worthy of the great Arsene Wenger (the master of the invincibles) learning from.
why do we do this ?
we win one game and get carried away
no where near good enough to get top 4
we are 10th , I think in last few months have been as high as 8th
What haven you seen to make you think we are going on a run that it would take to finish top 4 ?
if Leeds win game in hand we are not even in top half , yet your talking about top 4
Dan you didn’t get my meaning but the OP got it that’s why he has stayed quite.
In short in another article he said Arteta has the best tactics he has ever seen and that the great Arsene is now learning from Arteta.
Now he says Arteta is smarter than fans, pundits and others. He keeps praising him with undeserved praises short of only calling him a prophet or a saint.
When someone ask him why the smartest manager with the best tactics ever sit on 10th the reply never come.
And regarding Arteta, with only 6 points from top 4 and 14 games to go he has no excuse to get there if he has to prove he is the right man for the job.
He has the squad capable of achieving that but the squad is as good as the one coaching them. If he doesn’t get top 4 I am jumping ship to Arteta out.
Its not imposible not that the rest of the teams are consistent aside mancity though all we need now is to be consistent..i mean just look at Everton and Manchester yesterday who would have thought
But we are not consistent
Be like saying if they win game I hand saints can make top 4 ?
Not only does Arsenal have to go on a run of wins, but other results have to go Arsenal’s way. You can only worry about your own form, try to win each game as it comes and hope the other results fall your way.
It tells me a lot about him, I guess he was really having issues outside the field. Hope everything is fine now and forever for him and everyone =)
Captain Fantastic!!
I believe Auba has put all his problems behind him, now is time for business, top six is achievable
All we need is a bit of consistency.
If we play city as well as we played the first half yesterday anything is possible.
Coming into some form before we play the scum in a months time would be ideal.
Hopefully, he has got his scoring boots back.
It will be a miracle for us to get a draw against Man City
👍 They’re not even missing KDB, which speaks volumes!!
Of course he had to return to face us, just like aguero made his cameo just to face us earlier this season even got the assist for the 0-1 defeat.
Be a miracle to get into there half 5-0 City win. Arteta tried his best to mess up yesterday when bringing on William it all went pear shaped be amazed if Arteta is still Arsenal manager by end of season!!
Don’t be cos he will still be come end of the season
Jesus is the factor that scares me the most. He is one of the most experienced coaches out there and had a fantastic last season with Flamengo. If Arteta can outsmart him then we might win the ties. Also, I think they have a very good LB with them. But I am backing our chances.
We will lose to manchester city, but come back to London with a win from portugal….it is what it is 😊