Darren Bent told talkSPORT (01/12/20 at 8:45 am) that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has changed at Arsenal in recent months because he’s no longer putting the ‘effort’ in.
Added with that, Bent feels that Aubameyang, who signed a new contract at Arsenal in September, will be ‘asking questions’ as to where the struggling North London side are headed.
The aim at the start of the season would have been to secure Champions League football, but that’s looking less likely by the week and Aubameyang’s lack of form is playing a part in that.
Boyhood Arsenal fan & ex-Spurs striker, Bent shared his thoughts on Aubameyang’s recent performances and how he needs to do more to get out of his current rut.
“We are saying that we don’t create chances for him,” said Bent. “But he has to do more himself as well. You cannot keep blaming everyone else.
“He was superb up until he signed the new contract and go ‘well, it cannot be his fault’. We do need creativity in there. I understand that. But he could still be doing a lot more for the team as well.
“When you look at Aubameyang’s performances before he signed the contract, he was running after everything. He was tracking back. He was putting tackles in.
“People weren’t speaking about creativity as much then because he was doing so much. He was probably going above and beyond. So, people expected that to continue. I can understand strikers go through patches where you’re not scoring goals. But you can still put effort and work rate in.
“Right now, questions have to be asked. I think he might be asking questions of the Arsenal squad because he’s probably thinking ‘Why have I signed this contract? How far realistically are we away from the Champions League, which is where he wants to be playing?'”
Every time a big-name player signs a new contract at Arsenal, it seemingly results in them falling off a cliff and being the complete opposite to what they were before they signed a contract.
Arsenal fans will be praying that Aubameyang doesn’t fall down that same path because his twin brother has been taking to the field since September.
But what a way to turn your form and Arsenal’s form around by scoring the winner in the North London derby on Sunday?
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
