Arsenal manager Unai Emery has been warned about his over-reliance on the goals of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang by pundit Garth Crooks.
Aubameyang made Crooks’ Premier League team of the week after another superb performance to help Arsenal to a 3-2 win over Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium.
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The Gabon international has been on fire at the start of this season and in many ways seems to be masking the major flaws in Emery’s side.
Crooks, however, has warned the Gunners boss that he’s seen managers relying on their strikers in similar ways before, and it doesn’t tend to end well.
“Arsenal find themselves in the top four and it’s all down to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang,” Crooks wrote in his column for BBC Sport.
“Since his arrival at the Emirates he has rescued Arsenal’s often abject performances and made them palatable. Their game against a plucky Aston Villa who seem to be slowly adapting to life in the Premier League, although it might be a little too slow to survive in the Premier League, was poor and they rely far too much on the Gabon international.
“I’ve seen this before when managers use strikers as a get out of jail card and the moment the striker’s goals dry up they are the first out the door.
“Arsenal owe Aubameyang and when he is struggling, and he will, give him a little latitude.”
Arsenal fans will no doubt be aware that Aubameyang is the main reason they stand any chance of gaining a top four place at the moment, and many will be losing patience with Emery.
The Spanish tactician has not done enough to build a real consistent game plan since taking the Arsenal job, and more often than not the team’s style of football has left much to be desired.