Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang showed he can provide the goals Mikel Arteta needs as he scored a hat-trick in Arsenal’s 6-0 Carabao Cup win over West Brom. The victory eased some of the pressure on Arteta after two goalless Premier League defeats, but the manager could face a problem following Martin Odegaard’s first appearance after his permanent switch from Real Madrid.
Aubameyang’s future with the Gunners was being questioned over the summer, but the Gabon striker’s scintillating performance against the Baggies suggested that Arteta can depend on him to lead the line this season.
After Arsenal began their season with two goalless defeats for the first time in 118 years, Arteta’s side ran riot against a West Brom side who made 11 changes from the weekend.
And Aubameyang’s awareness, anticipation and quick movement was on display throughout as he plundered a treble, while Nicolas Pepe, Bukayo Saka and substitute Alexandre Lacazette also got on the scoresheet.
Aubameyang gave the Gunners the lead after pouncing on a loose ball following excellent work from Saka, while he was again in the right place at the right time as he was played in by Mohamed Elneny to double Arsenal’s advantage on the stroke of half-time.
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Within a minute the tie was all but wrapped up when Aubameyang perfectly timed his run onto an incisive pass from Saka, before somewhat fortuitously setting up Nicolas Pepe for the third goal.
And Aubemayeng’s movement again saw him ideally placed to complete his hat-trick after he was found in space by Ainsley Maitland-Niles in the second half for the Gunners’ fifth goal.
The striker will face tough tests than West Brom’s rookie defenders – starting with the trip to Manchester City on Saturday – but his performance as well as the goal from Lacazette showed that perhaps Arsenal didn’t need to sign a new striker after all having been linked with Tammy Abraham in the summer.
Minutes before Aubameyang scored his third goal, Odegaard showed why Arsenal paid £31m to bring him back from Real Madrid with an audacious back-heel to set up a well-deserved strike for the superbly industrious Saka.
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Odegaard had been praised by former Gunners striker Kevin Campbell during the interval, after keeping Arsenal’s attack ticking over with simple passes throughout the first period.
But watching Arsenal tear the Baggies to shreds, it was hard not to wonder where Emile Smith Rowe would fit into the team.
The Gunners fended off the attentions of Aston Villa over the summer to ensure the young playmaker stayed at the Emirates.
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But he looks set to be in direct competition with Odegaard for a place in the team – and Martin Keown has criticised the decision to spend on Odegaard when Arsenal already had Smith Rowe on the books.
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Arteta will have to be mindful that the introduction of Odegaard doesn’t hamper the development of Smith Rowe, who was one of the Gunners’ better players during their dismal defeats to Chelsea and Brentford.
But while Arteta wrestles with that potential dilemma, he can take huge confidence ahead of Saturday’s trip to the Etihad from the fact that his star striker is back on form and Arsenal’s attack are back in the goals.