AUBAMEYANG’S BRILLIANCE SLIPPING UNDER THE RADAR

ARSENAL negotiated another difficult task at Old Trafford on Wednesday and Unai Emery’s reign continues to gather momentum. I was dismayed that his first game in charge led to him being subjected to huge amounts of criticism and said as much in my second column of the season. A manager of his pedigree deserves respect and time, and he is proving to be a shrewd appointment. What I’m struggling to work out about Arsenal’s fantastic run is why Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s on-field brilliance is not being highlighted more. He’s a striker of the highest calibre and his record since coming to England has been phenomenal. If Harry Kane, Mohamed Salah or Sergio Aguero had been on a run of 20 goals in 27 games — his second in the 4-2 win over Tottenham was first class — we would be in a hurry to say how great they are, but it feels as if some people aren’t paying attention to Aubameyang. Alexandre Lacazette has impressed me too and if they keep working in tandem as they have been, they are going to have a real chance of finishing in the top four. You know Arsenal are going to fight in games now and, for too long, that just wasn’t happening enough. The north London derby was a prime example. I know that there were not too many lads from north London on the pitch, but it felt that everyone who was playing for Arsenal knew what was at stake and how much it meant to everyone in the stadium. There were some incidents that could not be condoned, such as coins being thrown on the pitch and the dreadful incident with the banana skin, but I actually thought the game — with big challenges and some skirmishes — was exactly what football should be about in this country. It was passionate and committed and Arsenal showed those qualities in abundance. Watching how the Gunners develop throughout the second half of the season will be intriguing.