When Aubameyang was playing for the Gunners, he was reportedly stripped of his captaincy by Arteta before the Gabon international joined Barcelona.
Follow Us
Football fans are in for a feast when Chelsea play host to Arsenal in a pulsating Premier League encounter on Sunday. The contest between the two London clubs at Stamford Bridge will undoubtedly be the game of the weekend. Unlike the last few seasons, Arsenal will be heading into this encounter with the form on their side and are also in a much-superior position in the standings. The Gunners are the surprise leaders so far this season and have been good value for their position on the table.
With 31 points from 12 games, top ranked Arsenal have been the most in-form team in Premier League this season. They will be up against a Chelsea side that has already witnessed a managerial change. The Blues are currently sixth and are ten points behind the leaders already. In order to move higher up the table, three points are a must for Chelsea on Sunday. At the same time, Arsenal also require the maximum points to maintain their lead at the top of the standings.
Read More – Premier League: What to look out for on Matchday 15
Hence, it goes without saying that there is a lot at stake when these two giants of London go against each other. Amidst all that, a lot of spotlight has also been put on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ahead of his reunion with Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal. Earlier, when Aubameyang was playing for the Gunners, he was reportedly stripped of his captaincy by Arteta before the Gabon international joined Barcelona. He then returned to Chelsea this summer and has been a regular at the top.
Speaking ahead of the mouth-watering contest, Graham Potter was not keen to make the contest with Arsenal all about Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s reunion. “It’s a big game, a London derby between two good teams,” said Potter, as quoted by Chelsea’s official website. “Arsenal are doing really well and obviously the history makes it an interesting one for Auba. The past is the past as far as we’re concerned so we’re just looking forward to the game and trying to play well.”
Potter added: “I don’t think we should make it about him. It’s about the team and he’s an important part of the team for us to get the result we want but it takes everybody. I understand the headlines are about him because it’s Arsenal and there’s a narrative around that. There’s nothing we can do about that other than to try as a team to play well. I think he’s looking forward to the game and he’s excited for it. He’s been pretty normal from what I’ve seen. He’s quite a quiet guy but I’m sure come matchday he’ll be determined.”
Chelsea suffered a shock 4-1 defeat to Brighton in the Premier League last weekend. Reflecting on that game, Potter admitted that his players did not match Brighton’s intensity in the early stages of the match. “If you don’t do that in any game, it’s a challenge for us,” he explained. “It was a unique situation at the weekend and now we have to learn from that and be ready for a London derby. It’s a special game. It’s an exciting game. We have to be ready to play the football that can get us a result.”
