NOT AUBA IT YET Mik’s rally cry
MIKEL ARTETA has told his battered Arsenal squad to rally around “gutted” skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The Gunners boss has revealed his striker is still reeling from his role in the club’s shock Europa League exit last week.
Aubameyang, 30, missed an open goal after his injury-time overhead kick had set his side on course to go through.
Now he fears the fall-out of defeat by Olympiakos could include his leading goalscorer quitting the club this summer in search of Champions League action.
“He was gutted,” Arteta (below) said after Aubameyang and his team-mates reported back to training for the first time since their Thursday horror show.
“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’ll all try to be right behind him.
“Auba 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.”
With Champions League qualification via the Premier League a remote possibility at best, Arteta’s next concern over Aubameyang will be May’s contract talks. The former Borussia Dortmund hitman enters the final year of his contract next season and Arsenal want him to pen a new deal so they are not forced to sell their star asset.
Asked how another season out of Europe’s elite competition could impact negotiations, Arteta said: “I think we will know that in May depending on where we finish, when we have a conversation with the club and a conversation with him.
“But at the moment nothing has changed, there’s still possibilities to go through.” Without a Premier League fixture this weekend, Arteta’s thoughts turn to tomorrow night’s FA Cup Fifth Round tie at League One Portsmouth.
The Spaniard lifted the trophy as captain at Arsenal and he wants to inspire his players to follow in his footsteps now he is the boss.
He said: “The FA Cup is really special. The final is one of the nicest games and days of the season.
“And it’s a trophy that has been very much linked with our history.
“So we want to continue to be attached to that, knowing that on Monday night in Portsmouth it will be tough.”