Arsenal's Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrates after scoring a goal during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Norwich City at the Emirates Stadium in London on July 1, 2020. (Photo by Richard Heathcote / POOL / AFP)

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang aiming to break Manchester City duck

Jul 18, 2020

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will start against Manchester City at Wembley on Saturday in search of his first FA Cup goal for Arsenal this season and Mikel Arteta has backed him to handle the pressure even though he has never scored against City before.

BRIGHTON, ENGLAND - JUNE 20: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal takes a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement prior to the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Arsenal FC at American Express Community Stadium on June 20, 2020 in Brighton, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) — BRIGHTON, ENGLAND – JUNE 20: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal takes a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement prior to the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Arsenal FC at American Express Community Stadium on June 20, 2020 in Brighton, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

Starting against Liverpool on the bench midweek, Aubameyang should be fresh and ready to go in what will be only his second FA Cup game of his Arsenal career.

His other? 90 minutes against Manchester United in the fourth round game we lost 1-3 last season. He scored our only goal after 42 minutes.

In fact, Auba has played more League Cup games for Arsenal than he has in the FA Cup (3 v 1). Of our four FA Cup games so far this season, he’s only been included in the squad once and that was when he sat on the bench against Sheffield United in the quarter final.

With Arsenal’s season on the line on Saturday evening against Manchester City, Arteta was asked about the forward’s ability to handle the inevitable pressure that comes with facing a Pep Guardiola side that has a massive bee in its bonnet and believes it has a point to prove.

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“I think he handles the pressure really well,” Arteta told Arsenal Digital. “It is part of his character that he is so relaxed and confident about himself.

Arsenal's Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrates after scoring the opening goal of the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium in London on February 16, 2020. — Arsenal’s Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrates after scoring the opening goal of the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium in London on February 16, 2020. (Photo by IAN KINGTON/AFP via Getty Images)

“I think the fact he is able to sustain that level of pressure and still deliver every single year, scoring the amount of goals that he does, tells you everything about how he responds and how he enjoys challenges. I am sure he will be ready on Saturday.

“I like him in both positions, but now to have a better balance in the team, to have a goal threat that we need in the squad, I think he adapts a little bit better,” he added.

“But he has played different positions a few times, and he will keep moving from time to time into different areas to cause difficulties to the opponent.”

LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 16: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal celebrates with Nicolas Pepe after he scores his sides first goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Newcastle United at Emirates Stadium on February 16, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

A key point used to dig at Arsenal’s big players is the number of goals they do, or more often, don’t score against the so-called ‘big sides’ so how does Aubameyang stack up in that category knowing that he has never scored against Manchester City?