Press conference

Arteta - This is the place for Aubameyang

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice... has been the intro to many a match report since he arrived at Arsenal.

It happened again on Sunday and, predictably, our matchwinner's future was the main topic in Mikel Arteta's post-match press conference.

Our head coach is not at all surprised that other clubs are interested in signing Auba, but he wants our top goalscorer to sign a new contract.

"The [clubs who want him] are completely right because he is a superb player," said Arteta. "He completely deserves to be liked by all the other teams. Hopefully we can convince him that this is the right place for him and that he has a future here. 

"Hopefully [the wins will help] but as well what we are trying to do. Does he really enjoy walking out onto the pitch every time he goes? It’s very much part of what we are trying to build here and I think he is with that mindset at the moment.

"I think it’s been tough for a player like him, because there’s been a lot of disappointment in the last few months or years because he has big expectations and he wants to play for the biggest clubs in the biggest tournaments. 

"He wants to be up there with the best players in the world, and we have to try and support him and give him everything as a club, so that he really feels fulfilled here. That’s the challenge that we have."

One challenge Arteta had when he arrived was extracting more defensive efficiency from his team, and Aubameyang presented our new head coach with a conundrum.

"I had two questions [about Auba’s attitude to defending]," he explained. "One was whether he wanted to do it, or could he not do it physically? So once I found out that physically he could do it, it was about convincing him to do it and that he can do it every three days. He’s showing that.

"But I’m so happy with Auba because he is scoring very important goals for us, but as well as a captain he’s giving a great example to everyone else.

"That a player of his calibre is able to work the way that he is working defensively… because of the demands of the matchday are big, and he is willing and he is happily doing it and I think we should pay regards to him."

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