Following his latest Barcelona exploits, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has made a veiled dig at Arsenal.
The Gabonese striker scored again for his new club on Thursday night, as Real Madrid advanced to the Europa League quarter-finals with a 2-1 victory over Galatasaray.
The 32-year-old scored the crucial second goal in Barcelona’s comeback victory, giving him seven goals in his first ten games with the Spanish club.
When Marcao headed the Turkish side in front just before the half-hour mark, Barcelona appeared to be on the verge of their second European departure of the season.
With 37 minutes left on the clock, Pedri showed maturity beyond his years to equalize for Barcelona, before Aubameyang made his imprint once more.
The attacker scored the game’s winner four minutes into the second half, tapping in after a superb knock-down from Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.
After the game, Aubameyang was questioned about the things that have contributed to his excellent success with his new team, and the ex-Arsenal striker took advantage of the occasion to criticize his previous club.
“What can I tell you?” Aubameyang said, according to Mundo Deportivo. I work a lot, but the most important thing to me is that I am content.
When you’re pleased, you’re excited about everything: scoring goals, helping the team, and killing.”
Following the striker’s humiliating exit, the comments are the latest jab at Arsenal. Barcelona signed Aubameyang on a free transfer.
After arriving late from a trip overseas, Aubameyang was stripped of the club’s captaincy and banned from first-team duties by the Spaniard.
The Gabonese forward’s future in North London became evident very quickly, and his contract was cancelled by the club.
In recent days, Aubameyang hasn’t been the only one to make a barely veiled jab at Arsenal. Xavi, his new boss, made a sharp remark during Barcelona’s 4-0 La Liga victory over Osasuna over the weekend, a match in which the striker scored to achieve an unprecedented feat.
“Aubameyang is a gift that has dropped from the sky,” Xavi told reporters. It’s not only about [the objectives], it’s about
During his presentation in Barcelona, Aubameyang confirmed that his departure was due to continuous disagreements with Arteta, saying:
“It’s been a rough few months. It’s in the past; I’ve never wanted to do anything bad. I believe it was only him [Arteta] that was involved. I can’t say much because he wasn’t happy, and I kept my cool.”
Both sides appear to have benefited from the transfer. Barcelona has made a stunning comeback under Xavi, with Aubameyang’s goals only adding to their recent success, while Arsenal has maintained their push for a top-four finish in the Premier League.
Aubameyang will have another chance to extend his goal-scoring streak when Barcelona travels to Madrid to face La Liga table-toppers Real Madrid on Sunday night.