Tim Sherwood has told Premier League Productions that he would let out-of-form Arsenal forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang play ‘wherever he wanted’ on the pitch.
Leading up to the conclusion of last season, Aubameyang fired Arsenal to the FA Cup by showcasing his goalscoring efficiency from the left-hand side.
But that magic the Gabon star had in his game has completely filtered out and he has only scored one goal from open play this season.
Given Aubameyang’s current situation, former Villa manager Sherwood shared how he would deal with his current predicament ahead of their clash against Leeds.
“I would play Aubameyang wherever he wanted to play,” said Sherwood. “I would ask him [where he wants to play]. Where are they going to get their goals from?
“History shows you that he is the only one who scores on a regular basis. If I am Mikel Arteta, I am getting him in the office and saying ‘where do you want to play and who do you want to play around you?’
“Willian definitely [should play]. Maybe Saka? Saka or Pepe. Not Lacazette, at the moment, because he hasn’t done it on a consistent basis.
“But he [Aubameyang] has always played out wide. I don’t know what the fuss is about because it’s not like he’s changed his position. This is where he wants to play, obviously. I talked about bringing him into the office and asking him, he would probably say ‘absolutely where he is playing’.”
Arsenal looked at their worst before the international break when they were dismantled by an attacking and vibrant Aston Villa side.
Whilst on paper, Leeds United are a ‘newly-promoted’ team, they play far from that tag and they will make this Arsenal team work on Sunday liked they have never worked before, but will that gung-ho style open the door for Aubameyang?
The £56 million star [BBC Sport] will love the space Leeds will leave in behind, and if Mikel Arteta’s side can deal with the aggression and the constant press, then Aubameyang may find that he will have a few more opportunities to get some confidence back into his legs.
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