Why Arteta is playing Aubameyang out of position

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, has been one of Europe’s most prolific strikers in the last few seasons.

The player has scored goals galore and recently signed an extension on his contract. Under Arteta, the team has come together defensively but it has cost them their attacking flair.

The bigger problem however, is why Arteta keeps choosing to play his best centre forward Aubameyang out of positon on the left flank. European football pundit Julien Laurens has a plan.

“I think it’s just finding a way of getting him more involved in the box,” Laurens told ESPN FC as quoted by Express Sports.

“If you look at stats of expected goals, touches in the opposition box, shots of course.

“If you don’t shoot you can’t score, regardless of your expected goals.

“If he’s not in the position to shoot, if he doesn’t have the ball in the box, he can’t score.

“Right now he cannot play centrally because he would have to chase the ball and press all the time.

“This is what Arteta is asking his No 9 to do and Lacazette can do that and I don’t think Aubameyang can do it, or it would be crazy to ask that kind of job of Aubameyang. He can’t play in the centre.

“Arteta is not stupid, he would play him centrally if he thought he could and if he thought it was better for the team.

“There’s a reason why he plays on the left and not centrally.”

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