Paul Merson claims Chelsea’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang simply needs to start against Arsenal this weekend.
Chelsea host rivals Arsenal on Sunday afternoon at Stamford Bridge, with the London clubs locking horns in the Premier League.
The Blues will be looking for a positive result after losing their previous league match against Brighton. Graham Potter’s side have plenty of work to do given they sit sixth in the league table right now, too.
In contrast, Arsenal are sitting high as the Premier League leaders right now and will hope to stay on top over the winter break for the World Cup.
Aubameyang needs to start against Arsenal
Merson thinks Chelsea boss Graham Potter must pick Aubameyang in his starting line-up tomorrow against his former club.
The Blues striker scored 92 goals in 163 games during his time in Arsenal colours, but did exit earlier this calendar year on slightly sour terms.
Merson thinks it’s a no-brainer for Potter to start the 33-year-old on Sunday.
“The one thing I would say is that I think Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has to play for Chelsea, just to get into the heads of the Arsenal players,” Merson wrote for the Daily Star.
“It will then be a bit of a wind up and the supporters will be hostile towards him as well. At the same time if you’re Arsenal, you would want him to play because he’s hardly ripping it up. We all know what happens when you play against your old team. More often than not, it doesn’t go to plan.”
Aubameyang has started more games than he’s been benched under Potter, so most expect him to be included in the XI tomorrow.
A lot of the storyline for this game has been centred around him, which is why he’ll have the extra motivation to go put on a good performance and be a match-winner for his new side.
Journalist Miguel Delaney reports that Arsenal players have been discussing Aubameyang in detail as they prepare to face their former teammate.
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