Is Arteta playing a dangerous game with Auba’s special treatment? (Opinion) | OneFootball

Icon: Just Arsenal News

Just Arsenal News

·3 December 2021

Is Arteta playing a dangerous game with Auba’s special treatment? (Opinion)

Article image:Is Arteta playing a dangerous game with Auba’s special treatment? (Opinion)

Mikel Arteta has refused to drop Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from the starting line-up for a single Premier League game despite the striker’s form, and that is surely risking unrest in the Arsenal squad.

The Spanish boss has done wonders with the squad since taking over, proving to his young players that their chances will come, and there are rewards if you take them.


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Bukayo Saka got his chance before Arteta came in of course, but he has earned a regular role on the wing since his arrival. Emile Smith Rowe was another success story, while Eddie Nketiah started off as one, but has somehow found minutes hard to come despite starring in the manager’s first months in charge.

This season, the manager once again promoted to his extended squad that there is a route into the first-team, first by dropping Bernd Leno for Ramsdale, who more than took his chance with both hands. Now we have Nuno Tavares keeping Kieran Tierney out the team, despite some reservations from fans especially after his showing against Liverpool.

All that hard work is at risk of coming unstuck however, with his inability to drop Auba from the line-up. His failures in front of goal are all-too apparent, and with him being the type of captain who leads with his football (not with his voice), there is plenty of reason to grow frustrated with the situation.

We have the likes of Eddie Nketiah, Gabriel Martinelli and Folarin Balogun all craving further playing time, and I struggle to see how they are not growing in anger as Auba’s struggles continue, while they are all continually overlooked.

I’m not naive enough to claim that our captain is completely done, or that he needs to be dropped permanently from the starting line-up, but something does need to change.

Charles Watts recently claimed that the striker’s finishing was costing us, whilst telling his YouTube followers that he is ‘playing poorly’ while Agbonlahor told the Football Insider that Aubz is ‘going backwards’, and I cannot disagree with either comment.

The manager can only allow things to go on for so long however, as it won’t only be the other strikers in the squad who will be questioning the decision if things continue as they are.

Would dropping Auba bring a reaction from the striker? We’ve heard the manager sing the praises of all of options who could play in his place, so why couldn’t one of them take their chance in the same way that Nuno, Smith Rowe, Saka and Ramsdale have?

I understand that we all have our favourites of the three, but I think I’m amongst the minority in wanting Nketiah to get an extended run ahead of the other two, believing he is primed to perform after a top pre-season as well as starring in his limited cup outings also.

Patrick

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