‘Hopefully that goal will change everything'

The relief was writ large all over Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s face.

It had been more than three months since our club captain had scored in open play in the Premier League, but his well-taken strike against Southampton ended that on Wednesday night.

 

“Hopefully it's going to change everything dramatically and he's going to score every game because this is what we need at the moment,” Mikel Arteta said afterwards.

 

“We need the points and in order to do that, we need to score many more goals and be more efficient when we have the chances. I think it's going to make him really good.

 

“I don't have to see it, I'm sure that it's going to take a lot of pressure off him and it's going to release him as well.”

 

Arteta also feels that the way we dug in for a draw with 10 men bodes well for coming matches.

 

“At the end, if you lose the game again it would've been a really difficult one to take,” he said. “The players showed what we expect them to do. Sometimes with more or less quality, but at least the work is there.

 

“I saw all the players were participating and they were in the stands, shouting, being behind the team and leading the game with them. That's a really strong signal as well and I'm really pleased with that as well.”