There was a tempting glimpse into Arsenal’s future when Bukayo Saka scored the 43rd minute goal which marked the crucial 2-0 victory of the Gunners’ Premier League at the Wolves. The teenager’s first league goal not only dented the home team’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League, but also increased Arsenal’s shaky prospects earlier.
It has been a memorable week for Saka, 18, who days earlier put an end to uncertainties about his future by signing a long-term contract. In Molineux, he gave the finishing touch to a move initiated by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, whose clever passage to the edge of the Wolves’ penalty area allowed Kieran Tierney to cross through Saka to open the scoring.
Aubameyang’s contribution was vital and reflective for his overall performance, which set an excellent example as an Arsenal captain. If the club’s future is to be a success with Saka, Eddie Nketiah and Joe Willock in the foreground, the 31-year-old skipper must be the next player to extend his stay at the Emirates Stadium.
With former Borussia Dortmund on the team, manager Mikel Arteta can confidently plan the next phase of his reconstruction work. If Aubameyang does not agree on a contract to replace the one that expires next summer, however, all the promises and progress of recent games are likely to be diverted to the contrary.
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The promise and progress were seen on Saturday. Arsenal had to overcome the strong pressure of the Wolves in the second half, showing the type of decision so often absent from the white and red shirts, before sealing the three points four minutes since the substitute Alexandre Lacazette doubled the advantage with the his first away goal in the league since February 2019.
Incredibly, this was the first time that Arsenal have gained an away win against a team placed higher from the table since winning in Leicester in September 2015. After losing the Champions League qualifying matches after losing in Brighton two weeks ago, have faith.
“Every game now we have no room for error, we know that,” said Arteta. “Let’s try to start thinking about Leicester again [Arsenal’s next opponents, on Tuesday] tomorrow, but I’m in the race to try and win against Leicester and we’ll see what happens, but it’s true [Champions League] it seems possible. “
Sealing a place in the club’s biggest football competition would give Arteta a quick pass to solve the problems in its tray, starting in Aubameyang. Sources told ESPN that Gabon International is willing to stay, but age dictates that its forthcoming deal offers the ultimate chance of a big increase.
He will not be short of offers. Since arriving in England for £ 56 million ($ 79 million) in January 2018, Aubameyang has scored 63 times in 102 games overall; in the middle of the week, he scored against Norwich to reach the 50 goal in the league in his 79th appearance, four games faster than Arsenal’s all-time scorer, Thierry Henry.
Aubameyang is second only to Leicester’s Jamie Vardy in the Premier League golden boot race – Vardy leads 21-19 – and it is safe to say that Arsenal would have languished in the middle of the table without the goals of his talismanic striker. But his performance at the Wolves, where Arsenal ended Nuno Espirito Santo’s 100% winning run from the restart, showed that there is much more to the Aubameyang game.
His awareness of Saka’s goal accumulation highlighted his ability outside the penalty area, while he showed leadership and desire by helping defensively as the Wolves chased a draw. Sometimes, he was almost doubling his left back with Tierney.
Arteta has made it clear that he only wants players with the right attitude – a mantra alluded to more than once when asked to justify the ongoing absence of Mesut Ozil and Matteo Guendouzi, none of whom appeared on Saturday – and in Aubameyang, he has the perfect embodiment of what he expects.
When the captain and attacker are leading by example, it is easier for the manager to make sure others follow him. Saka and his young companions watch Aubameyang and follow his lead, so why it is so important for Arsenal to keep him. If he leaves, there is little veteran leadership elsewhere.
Arsenal are at least a year behind Chelsea and Manchester United in terms of the team’s evolution and this summer will see the manager eliminate the players who do not meet his needs. Aubameyang shouldn’t be one of those; the path of the club to return where he expects will be shorter with him during the trip.
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