'Auba's been phenomenal, now we must support him'

Mikel Arteta has called on his squad to support Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who is still “gutted” about our Europa League exit.

The Gabon international scored a sensational bicycle kick against Olympiacos, but missed a last-gasp chance to send us through to the last-16 - and our head coach wants us to get around him.

 

“He was gutted,” Arteta said. “Obviously he scored a wonder goal that was putting us through in the competition, and with the last kick of the game, he had the best chance of the game.

 

“He felt very responsible about it, we will try to be right behind him. He has been phenomenal all season for us and now the players have to support him, I think his reaction after the game - to face the media and the way he talked, it was a very mature reaction from him.

 

“We are all very down, frustrated, disappointed, but my message to the players was that I am right behind them. I thanked them for the effort they put into the game, for the attitude and the personality they played with and the way they reacted after we conceded the goal.

 

“We tried, tried and tried again and completely deserved to win the game but there were aspects of the game that we have to dominate better if we want to keep competing at that level.

 

“It is part of the profession. We can fall and have disappointments, it is about how we react individually and collectively. Then my job is to try to convince them that in the process in which we are at the moment, there are a lot of positive things and as well things we have to improve if we want to much better as a team.”