Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joins Barcelona: Decoding his numbers at Arsenal
Spanish club Barcelona have signed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on a free transfer. The 32-year-old signed the deal late on Monday. Aubameyang, who didn't appear for Arsenal since his disciplinary breach in December, has taken a significant pay cut. As per BBC, Arsenal will save up to £15m in wages. Auba had a successful time with Arsenal and made a significant presence. We decode his numbers.
Auba was a prolific scorer for Arsenal
Auba made 163 appearances for Arsenal in all competitions. He went on to score a total of 92 goals, besides registering 20 assists. Auba's best returns came in 2018-19, when he netted 31 times for the Gunners. He followed that up with 29 goals in 44 appearances in 2019-20. In the ongoing 2021-22 season, Auba made 15 appearances, scoring seven times.
Why does it matter?
- Arsenal had bought Auba from German club Borussia Dortmund in 2018.
- The Gabon international had arrived for a whopping £56m after a successful stint with Dortmund.
- He became an integral part of the Arsenal side and was also named captain.
- However, he was stripped of his captaincy duties in December for disciplinary reasons.
- Auba didn't feature for Arsenal again and has hence moved out.
Auba's Premier League stats
Auba made 128 appearances in the Premier League, scoring 68 goals. He also made 16 assists. His tally included nine penalties and one free-kick. He fired 310 shots, out of which 141 were on target. He hit the woodwork on 12 occasions. Auba created 19 big chances. He also made 80 tackles, 32 interceptions, and 57 clearances.
Auba won two trophies with the Gunners
Auba won the Premier League Golden Boot award in 2018-19. He also bagged two Premier League Player of the Month awards in October 2018 and September 2019 respectively. He won the FA Cup and Community Shield with Arsenal, besides reaching two cup finals (Carabao Cup and UEFA Europa League). Auba was adjudged Arsenal Player of the Season in 2019-20.
Auba is the fastest to 50 PL goals for Arsenal
In July 2020, Auba became the fastest to reach 50 Premier League goals for the Gunners. He achieved the mark in his 79th league appearance. Thierry Henry (87) and Ian Wright (101) held the record earlier. Notably, only five players have been quicker to the 50-goal mark in the history of the Premier League. Andy Cole (65 games) boasts of this record.
Eighth-highest scorer for Arsenal
Auba is the eighth-highest scorer for Arsenal in all competitions. He is behind the likes of Thierry Henry (228), Ian Wright (153), Robin van Persie (132), Dennis Bergkamp (113), Theo Walcott (108), Olivier Giroud (105), and Alan Smith (95).
