Press conference

Arteta - Auba has the hunger to turn this around

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is going through a tough spell at the moment.

Our captain is on an uncharacteristic run of four games without a goal, since netting the winner against Manchester United at Old Trafford last month.

But Mikel Arteta says Aubameyang has the hunger and desire to turn his and our fortunes around.

"No one is undroppable," our boss said. "At the end of the day, we have to find the right players to win football matches. But we cannot forget what Auba has done for this club and what he has done in recent months, not years ago.

"As well, I see how he's training and how he's behaving, how much he wants to turn this situation around. When I see that type of hunger, it's about supporting the player as well as the status he has in the team because of the performances he has provided for this football club.

"Listen, today and this week, the response that I've seen from the players and the reaction I saw from the players after the match, I cannot be any prouder. Because I know how difficult it is for everybody at the moment.

"After losing a derby you can be completely down and I saw a completely different team, a team that wants to fight, that has a big belief in what they are trying to do and they want to push themselves and push each other harder and harder.

"Auba was one of the main guys there and today he was walking around the place with an energy that wouldn't be associated to a team or a player that is suffering at the moment and that is for me the way we have to approach it."