Arsenal striker Pierre Emerick Aubameyang has revealed he was disappointed to see Alexandre Lacazette benched for the entire game against Watford.
The Gunners secured a hard-fought 1-0 win at Vicarage Road in the Premier League on Monday night, thanks to an early Aubameyang goal which came after he deflected a Ben Foster kick into the net.
Unai Emery’s men moved back into the top four after the result, with only five games left to play in the 2018-19 domestic campaign.
Aubameyang questioned his manager’s tactics in the wake of the win over Watford, however, admitting that he would prefer to play up front with Lacazette week in week out rather than lead the line on his own.
“Everybody knows that I like to play with Laca because we have a great partnership,” the Gabon star told Sky Sports, as per Metro Sport.
“Sometimes one plays, the other is on the bench. It’s like that. You have to fight for the team.
AND BREATHE!
DEEP BREATHS…#WATARS
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) April 15, 2019
“I think you know that I like to play with two strikers but I don’t want to say it because the coach will be maybe a bit angry.”
Emery has had a mixed first season at Emirates Stadium, making his team hard to beat at home but struggling to address their issues on the road.
The Europa League represents Arsenal’s only remaining chance of silverware this term, but the general consensus among supporters and experts is that the club are finally heading back in the right direction.
The Gunners can qualify for next season’s Champions League by finish third or fourth in the Premier, or by winning the Europa League, which would see them return to the competition after a two-year absence.
Aubameyang’s continued presence in the team will be vital to their chances of finishing the campaign strongly, but Emery is unlikely to be pleased with the forwards latest comments, which undermine his authority.
Perhaps Arsenal would be more effective going forward if he and Lacazette played together more regularly, but the Spanish coach is the man calling the shots and it is important that player power does not rear its ugly head at the Emirates any time soon.
