Auba dreaming of another big day out as Wembley calling
ARSENAL fans will have to cast their minds back to August to remember the last time Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang wore a smile like the one which spread across his face at the final whistle.
To Wembley and that summer day when his two goals sank Chelsea and clinched the Gunners their record 14th FA Cup final win.
He was enjoying something of a purple patch in front of goal back then with nine in as many matches. The kind of run he has only been able to dream about this season.
The Gabon striker has found goals hard to come by ever since signing that lucrative new contract.
He ended speculation about his future in doing so but started a whole new debate about his motivation.
Prior to kick-off here at The Emirates, he’d managed just one in his previous eight matches.
But, finally, he delivered his first goal in almost a month and in doing so, added to the growing feeling that Arsenal – once again – are heading in the right direction under boss Mikel Arteta.
It still wasn’t the perfect performance.
And had Andy Carroll taken either of two golden opportunities before extra-time was required then their FA Cup defence would have been over as quickly as it started.
But Arsenal have a special relationship with the world’s oldest domestic cup competition.
And after a fourth win on the spin – three in the Premier League – you can bet your life there will be Gunners fans believing this will be their year again in the competition.
They’d take that now in what has been another up-and-down campaign and certainly this result will have fans worshipping at the Arteta altar again – just a couple of weeks after plenty were beginning to question him.
For Aubameyang, don’t be surprised now if he goes on a little run.
If he beamed as he walked down the tunnel, however, then team-mate Emile Smith Rowe – the youngster who put Arsenal on their way to victory with the first goal – could not have worn a more different expression.
‘Coy’ was perhaps the best description after a VAR intervention saw his red card at the end of normal time downgraded to a yellow and allowed him to stay on the pitch and make a very different kind of mark on the game.
The first half had done nothing to support the idea that football is key to keeping the nation entertained while in lockdown.
Toon boss Steve Bruce’s opinion that it’s morally wrong for football to continue with coronavirus raging was not going to be changed by this game, not even in victory.
And it was easy to understand his stance as Jamaal Lascelles made his return for the first time contracting the virus at the end of November.
It might have felt like a huge deal for Aubameyang when he wasn’t scoring but what he has been through these past two months is nothing compared to Lascelles.