Aubameyang passed up hat-trick penalty to help Lacazette's confidence

Alexandre Lacazette returned to action and also scored on Sunday, but the latter came because of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's generosity.

Published : Apr 01, 2018 21:21 IST

Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang passed up the chance to complete his first Arsenal hat-trick against Stoke City by handing over a penalty to Alexandre Lacazette in what he revealed was an attempt to aid the Frenchman's confidence.

After initially looking as though they were heading towards an underwhelming 0-0 draw, Arsenal eventually stepped things up towards the end at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday and broke the deadlock through Aubameyang in the 75th minute.

The Gabon striker converted a penalty after Mesut Ozil had been tripped by Bruno Martins Indi, before then doubling his tally with a fine volley late on.

Arsenal were awarded a second spot-kick right at the end that would have given Aubameyang the chance to complete his treble, but Lacazette - back following six weeks out - was instead allowed to take it, dispatching the kick to score his first Premier League goal since early December.

And Aubameyang says he did it to give his colleague a boost.

"Laca is back, and I know I scored twice so I can let him shoot," he told Sky Sports. "It's good for his confidence."

Aubameyang was sporting a special hairdo on the day, with the word "Marina" shaved into the side of his head.

And explained afterwards that it was a tribute to his grandmother, who passed away recently.

"It is my grandmother's name," he said. "She passed away last week so this is my dedication to her."

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment