The forward’s performance against the Manchester United giants has been inconsistent, but he will expect to be decisive on Saturday.
Graham Potter’s attackers’ displays at Brentford dispelled any lingering misgivings he may have had before Chelsea’s match against Manchester United on Saturday.
It was understandable that Armando Broja’s first start for the team resulted in a mixed performance. Ben Mee was occasionally alarmed by the Albanian’s pace, but he played admirably against the Bees.
His downfall, however, was due to a lack of execution as well as the overall rawness of his performance.
Kai Havertz had a miserable evening.
The international player for Germany suffered both in and out of possession, especially when he had the ball since he either lost it easily or made the incorrect decisions in advantageous circumstances.
In fact, Potter’s decision to keep the former Bayer Leverkusen star on the field for so long at the Brentford Community Stadium caught everyone off guard.
At the end of the game, there was a lingering impression that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had contributed more during his brief cameo of nine minutes—a harsh evaluation in and of itself, but one that was motivated by anger at Havertz’s poor performance.
Chelsea hasn’t defeated United in the Premier League in nine games since Alvaro Morata’s header won them a 1-0 victory in November 2017.
After spending the previous two gameweeks away from Stamford Bridge, Potter’s decision on Saturday appears to be an easy one, in part because Aubameyang received a day of rest on Wednesday and Broja and Havertz failed to put any doubt in their manager’s mind.
The Gabonese, however, hasn’t always had it his way when they’ve faced the Red Devils in the past.
How often has Aubameyang appeared in a matchup with Manchester United?
From the second half of the 2017–18 season to the 2021–22 season, the forward played against the Red Devils seven times for Arsenal in the Premier League.
This could have been eight, but the striker’s contract with the Gunners was terminated early, therefore his final game for the North London club took place at Old Trafford. The Red Devils won 3-2 in the end.
With three goals in seven outings versus Manchester United, the 32-year-old has a respectable record.
Those objectives were from the 3.2 Expected Goals (xG).
Breakdown of goals
Aubameyang has scored three goals, two of which came from the penalty spot and one from open play.
The centre-forward, however, scored two of the three goals at Old Trafford while only scoring once at the Emirates Stadium.
Best Moment
The 2020–21 season saw Aubameyang’s most memorable performance against the Red Devils when he converted the penalty at Old Trafford to snap Arsenal’s 14–year Premier League winless streak at the Theatre of Dreams.
Since Emmanuel Adebayor’s late effort against United in September 2006, the Gunners have gone 13 games without a league victory at United.
However, Aubameyang’s coolness from the penalty spot with 20 minutes left was what won the game in a contest that might be remembered for Arteta’s use of Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny.
Since November 2020, Arsenal has failed to win at Old Trafford, losing 3-2 and 3-1 the previous two seasons.
Worst Moment
This occurred months after Aubameyang joined the North London club in January 2018 during his first Premier League matchup with United.
Arsene Wenger’s final trip to Old Trafford resulted in defeat to his longtime rival Jose Mourinho.
The Gabonese played poorly on the day, recording a startling xG of 0 in the 2-1 defeat.
At the time of the defeat, Manchester had gone 11 games without losing to Arsenal at home in league play.
Despite Aubameyang’s underwhelming performance in last Saturday’s victory at Aston Villa and an encouraging cameo against Bournemouth, Broja’s inexperience and Havertz’s patchy play indicate that the Chelsea manager will likely start the former Arsenal player this weekend.
