Mikel Arteta has refuted the suggestion it was a mistake to let leave without signing a replacement in the January transfer window.
The Gunners initially thrived without the services of their former captain who completed his acrimonious departure shortly before the deadline.
Aubameyang has rediscovered his goalscoring touch for the Catalan giants but appeared to have found a way to win matches without their former talisman and had been in pole position to secure a top four place before Monday’s defeat at .
That loss has brought into focus Arteta’s lack of attacking options, particularly given the continued struggles of who hasn’t scored from open play since December.
Asked whether it was a mistake to let Aubameyang depart ahead of tomorrow’s pivotal match against Brighton, Arteta bristled: Â ‘I haven’t heard that question in the last six weeks.
‘So I already forgot that question. It’s just the timing when you remind us, it’s always after a defeat and I don’t like to comment too much on that.’
When it was pointed out that Arsenal hadn’t lost many matches in the last six weeks, Arteta retorted: ‘That why we haven’t had that question much.’
While Lacazette has struggled with the weight of goalscoring expectation placed on his shoulders, he has impressed with other aspects of his game and the stand-in skipper has registered seven assists this season.
‘You evaluate whether you win or lose. It’s not what we do, it’s not our job,’ added Arteta.
;Laca’s contribution to the team in many other ways has been phenomenal. Of course, we want the strikers to score goals and we know that when we’re winning games as well and we require them to do that, so nothing has changed.’
, .
,  and .
