Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hopes to win 'one or more trophies' at Arsenal

Published on: 13 August 2018

Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is hoping to bring "one or more trophies" to the Emirates this season.

Aubameyang, 29, had an instant impact on the Gunners after joining last January for a club-record €63 million fee from Borussia Dortmund, netting nine goals and giving four assists in 12 Premier League matches last campaign.

The pacy Gabon international had been prolific in his four-and-a-half seasons in Germany, scoring 141 goals in 213 matches, and told ESPN that he's hoping to contribute goals and titles to the North London club this season.

"It was beneficial for me to arrive at Arsenal last January so I had six months to get used to the league, the country, the culture so I could be ready for my first full season," Aubemeyang said in an exclusive interview with ESPN following Arsenal's 2-0 Prem-opening defeat to Manchester City on Sunday.

"It was not easy at the beginning six months ago. It was such a big change. It was hard to find the rhythm, especially physically. But this time, I am ready. I could have done better today [Sunday] but I am staying positive. I am really feeling good."

He added: "Collectively, we want to play every competition to the maximum. We can't hide. It would be great to end the season with one or more trophies. The league is obviously the priority because it has been a while since Arsenal won it. 

"It will be complicated, though, and we know that. Personally, I want to contribute as much as possible with goals and assists. I don't have a figure in mind but I really [think] it will be a very good season like the ones I had in the past at Dortmund."

Sunday's home loss to City was a sobering result in Unai Emery's first match in charge of the club, and Aubameyang said he regretted the chances missed by his squad in the second half when they put the reigning champions under pressure.

"We created some chances but unfortunately we lacked efficiency up front. We will have to work on this. We have to be more clinical in our last pass and the finishing," he said.

"We knew it was never going to be easy against a team like Manchester City for the first game of the season. We knew what to expect. We didn't start well. We lacked a bit of character at the beginning of the game. In the second half, it was a bit better."

However, despite the loss, the former Dortmund star was still encouraged by some of the aspects of the game displayed by his team.

"I still think there were positives in our performance today [Sunday]. I thought the way we pressed, especially in the second half was interesting. That's how we caused problems to City and created chances in the second half.

"It is the way we have to play this season. City are City. But if we play like this against the other teams in the league, we have a chance. We will have to put the same intensity and desire through the whole season."

Aubameyang asked for patience with Emery, who replaced longtime boss Arsene Wenger in the summer.

"We still need some time to adapt to the new manager and to integrate the new players," he said. "It is hard to test ourselves in a first game like this against City because they are so strong. We have to stay positive, work on the things we did well and improve on the rest.

"We will have a better idea next weekend after the Chelsea game."

He also highlighted the different approach to the game under Emery, the former PSG and Sevilla boss who is 22 years Wenger's junior.

"The message of the new coach is all about showing character, to put a lot of intensity, play high up the pitch and implement a big pressing. That's the style we will play this season," explained Aubameyang, who said he is also enjoying the partnership he is forming with Alexandre Lacazette.

"We really get on well. There is a spark between us when we are both on the pitch together. We look for each other, we saw it today [Sunday] against City when he came on. I don't mind playing on the left if Laca is in the centre. We both want to do our best for the team."

Comments

Use a Facebook account to add a comment, subject to Facebook's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your Facebook name, photo & other personal information you make public on Facebook will appear with your comment, and may be used on ESPN's media platforms. Learn more.

Source: espn.co.uk

Comments