The absence of the Gabon captain did not stop Mikel Arteta’s side from cruising to a crucial win at Bramall Lane
Following their 3-0 hammering of Sheffield United, Arsenal have now won four of their six Premier League matches without Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang this season.
They have won 66.6 per cent of their six league matches without Aubameyang – four wins, a draw and a loss compared to 36 per cent of nine wins in the 25 league games he has featured in so far in this campaign.
The 31-year-old reportedly missed Sunday’s game at Bramall Lane with the flu, but his absence did not stop Arsenal from ending their four-game winless run in all competitions.
Alexandre Lacazette’s double and Gabriel Martinelli’s effort secured maximum points for the Gunners which saw them move to ninth in the Premier League table.
Ivory Coast’s Nicolas Pepe and Ghana’s Thomas Partey played the entire duration for the visitors while Egypt midfielder Mohamed Elneny came off the bench to replace Martinelli in the 83rd minute.
Sunday’s triumph also came as a relief for Arsenal as they grabbed their first-ever Premier League win at Bramall Lane at the fifth attempt since April 1991.
Despite his absence, Aubameyang remains a key player in Mikel Arteta’s set-up and he is the Gunners’ second top scorer after Lacazette with 14 goals across all competitions, including nine Premier League efforts.
It remains to be seen if the Gabon international will be fully fit for Arsenal’s important Europa League quarter-final return fixture against Slavia Prague on Thursday.
They were held to a 1-1 draw by their Czech visitors last week at the Emirates Stadium. Next up for Arsenal after the continental outing, is a Premier League home fixture against Fulham on April 18.
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