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There was never any doubt.
People may have debated Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s supposed demise this season, but no one at Arsenal believed for a second that their captain’s best days were over.
On Sunday he reminded all his skeptics outside north London that if he had any chances in front of goal he would grab them.
Aubameyang was at his best against Leeds, scoring his first ever Premier League treble Arsenal rebounded from back-to-back Premier League defeats with a 4-2 victory.
Mikel Arteta’s side were exceptional in the first half, with Bukayo Saka’s attacking trio, Martin Odegaard and Emile Smith Rowe tearing Marcelo Bielsa’s side apart with their pace and movement in the final third.
It was Odegaard’s first start since his loan transfer from Real Madrid and he fit perfectly into the No 10 role, with Saka and Smith Rowe on either side.
One of Arsenal’s main criticisms this season has centered on their being static when they step forward. A lack of movement and creativity made them easy to take on.
But for the first 45 minutes, it was exactly the opposite. Saka, Smith Rowe and Odegaard were exceptional and Leeds had no answer.
It was a real throwback to Arsene Wenger’s days, when he packed his midfielder with players such as Samir Nasri, Cesc Fabregas and Jack Wilshere, who in turn were given permission to s’ express and provide the attackers.
Aubameyang was the beneficiary here and he took full advantage of it, scoring twice in the first half and adding a third shortly after half-time.
The Gabon international now has 11 goals in 23 appearances this season. While this may not live up to his usual standards, for the majority of these appearances he was consistently deprived of any meaningful service.
As of December 16, however, he has scored seven goals in nine games and, with Saka, Smith Rowe and Odegaard behind him, he’s starting to look as prolific as ever.
He opened the scoring against Leeds with a classic Aubameyang goal, cutting through to the left and shooting past Illan Meslier after being chosen by the excellent Granit Xhaka.
The Gunners skipper then added a second from the penalty spot after the sensational Saka picked Meslier’s pocket in the penalty area and was tripped over by the hapless Leeds keeper.
It wasn’t more than Arsenal deserved and they closed off a dominant first half when Hector Bellerin stepped into the act with a powerful training after a wonderful team move to take him to 3-0.
Things got even better for the home side just two minutes into the second half when the fabulous center Smith Rowe picked Aubameyang, who completed his hat trick with a diving header at the far post.
Leeds threatened an unlikely comeback in the final half hour thanks to goals from Pascal Strujik and Helder Costa, but by then the damage was done, and the Gunners were unlucky not to extend the lead when Aubameyang took crushed an effort against the post.
The two goals they conceded will have disappointed Arteta, but the Arsenal boss will have been very excited about some of the offensive plays his young playmakers have served.
When Odegaard signed from Madrid, the whole debate was whether his arrival would stifle the development of Smith Rowe.
Arteta has always been adamant that they can play together and they proved their manager right with a performance which marks an exciting end to the season for Arsenal.
Sunday’s victory saw them move up to 10th in the Premier League and leave them just six points behind Liverpool in fourth and five behind West Ham in sixth.
The prospect of a European place seemed a distant dream days before Christmas, but Arteta’s side have had a chance to fight with their improved performances since defeating Chelsea on Boxing Day.
The losses to Wolves and Aston Villa have shown that there is still much to do at Arsenal, but there is no doubt that they are back on track again after some very difficult times in the first half of the season. season.
And with Aubameyang returning to his best and Saka, Smith Rowe and Odegaard behind him, Arteta’s team have every right to feel excited about what may be to come.
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