GENEROUS TO A FAULT
How could striker Aubameyang give up hat-trick chance?
IN many ways, PierreEmerick Aubameyang passing up the chance of a hat-trick encapsulates this Arsenal side. Too generous. Lacking ruthlessness. Soft.
Would Alexis Sanchez have handed the ball over to a teammate with a brace already in the bag? No chance.
Aubameyang’s decision to present Alexandre Lacazette the ball in the final minute was certainly heart-warming. Lacazette had scored just once since the start of December before firing past Jack Butland to complete Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Stoke yesterday, though this was his first appearance in two months after recovering from knee surgery. He needed the pick-me-up.
But Aubameyang hasn’t scored an Arsenal hat-trick yet. Who’s to say he will have a better chance than this? ‘It shows the state of our society that when people are generous we are surprised,’ said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. ‘Even more so footballers. Even more strikers.’
Arsenal fans are sick of being charitable, however. No matter that they were already 2-0 up thanks to Aubameyang.
The scoreline didn’t reflect the match. For 75 minutes Arsenal were abject. Fifteen minutes later, they were somehow celebrating. Not that the visitors deserved much more overall.
Referee Craig Pawson’s decision to award a dubious penalty turned this match on its head. Stoke defender Bruno Martins Indi was adamant he touched the ball as Mesut Ozil crashed to the deck. He was right.
Once again the Gunners played against a backdrop of empty seats. Officially there were 59,371 in attendance. In reality that number was closer to 40,000 as disgruntled fans stayed away again.
When Wenger’s future is discussed in the summer, the stayaway fans could yet prove the determining factor in whether he sees out his contract.
The first half was atrocious and boos rang round the stadium as Pawson blew for half-time. The Arsenal fans who dragged themselves to the Emirates would have been asking themselves, how has it come this?
Many of those will point the finger at Wenger. But even with Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Granit Xhaka and Laurent Koscielny rested ahead of Thursday’s Europa League match, the team selected by the Frenchman were more than capable of breezing past relegation-threatened Stoke.
Instead they toiled, devoid of any invention. This isn’t the Arsenal we’re accustomed to. Sloppy in possession. Pedestrian in transition. Almost lifeless.
That, more than anything else, is why fans are choosing to stay at home. The only two opportunities of note during the dire opening period fell to Xherdan Shaqiri and Aaron Ramsey. But even those were half-chances at best, Shaqiri rasping a shot well wide of David Ospina’s far post from the edge of the area before Ramsey looped an awkward effort on to the the top of the crossbar.
Arsenal offered some improvement in the second half, but even that was minimal. Danny Welbeck and Mohamed Elneny went close, though Shaqiri struck Ospina’s far post direct from a corner during a rare Stoke attack. The Colombian goalkeeper played ahead of Petr Cech, who is a doubt for Thursday’s clash with a groin injury.
Slowly, though, Arsenal put their foot down. Butland denied Aubameyang after the Gabon striker was sent through by Ozil in the 71st minute minute.
And four minutes later, the Gunners were ahead as Aubameyang stroked home that first penalty. It was desperately unlucky for Stoke, and Arsenal hardly deserved their slice of fortune.
Aubameyang notched his second four minutes from time, thumping home as Stoke failed to deal with Ozil’s corner before the former Borussia Dortmund man passed up the chance of a hat-trick to allow Lacazette to score from the spot after Badou Ndiaye foolishly careered into the France striker in the final minute. ARSENAL (4-3-2-1): Ospina 6; Bellerin 6, Mustafi 6.5, Chambers 6, Monreal 6; Wilshere 6.5 (Mkhitarayan 76min), Elneny 6 (Xhaka 76) Ramsey 6.5; Ozil 7, Welbeck 5.5 (Lacazette 61, 6.5); AUBAMEYANG 7.5. Subs not used: Koscielny, Iwobi, Kolasinac, Macey. Scorers: Aubameyang 75 pen, 86, Lacazette 89 pen. Booked: Elneny. Manager: Arsene Wenger 6. STOKE CITY (4-2-3-1): Butland 5.5; Johnson 5, Shawcross 6.5, Martins Indi 6.5, Pieters 6.5; Allen 7, N’Diaye 5; Bauer 5, Shaqiri 6, Sobhi 6 (Crouch 79); Diouf 5 (Berahino 61, 5). Subs not used: Ireland, Cameron, Haugaard, Campbell, Sorensen. Booked: Johnson, Allen. Manager: Paul Lambert 5.5. Referee: Craig Pawson 5. Attendance: 59, 371.