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Why Arsenal’s talisman is simply integral to Arteta’s progress at the Emirates – opinion

Arsenal are currently experiencing their worst Premier League season since 1994/95, languishing in 9th place in the top-flight. However, there have been subtle and steady improvements under Mikel Arteta, and it showed on Sunday as he recorded consecutive wins for the first time as a manager, as the Gunners overcame Everton 3-2. The man who ignited the fightback and finished it off for Arsenal was their talismanic captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who scored both the equalising goal and the winner highlighting his importance to Arteta.

The second goal drew him level joint level in the race for the Premier League golden boot, he has now scored 17 this season, and as per WhoScored, amongst Europe’s leading scorers only Ciro Immobile has scored a higher percentage of his side’s goals, 47 per cent, than Aubameyang’s 44 per cent. The statistics epitomise the Gabonese striker’s importance to Arsenal, and without him, they would be 19 Premier League points worse off this campaign. He has regularly come to the Gunners’ rescue to turn losses into draws and secure victories, much as he did against Everton.

No player in the Premier League this season has outperformed their expected goals as much as Aubameyang, having found the back of the net over six times more frequently than the statistical model suggests he should have. The fact the 30-year-old is consistently defying the odds is making a mockery of the model and highlighting the difficulty of the opportunities he is converting.

Since he arrived in England, Aubameyang has now scored 49 Premier League goals in an astonishing 74 top-flight appearances, the joint highest return in that period alongside Mohamed Salah. Should he score in his next appearance, the Gunners’ marksman will have reached 50 Premier League strikes in only three games more than Salah and Fernando Torres.

Arteta is well aware of his striker’s talents and said after the Everton game, he was Arsenal’s “most important player.” His contract is due to expire at the end of next season, but the Spaniard said he is hoping: “We can convince him this is the right place to be.” Clearly, his goals are integral, but his leadership qualities as captain also inspire others, Arteta knows it, and without Aubameyang his progress as manager will be severely stunted within the realms of North London.

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