The latest in a long list of players to don the dreaded No. 9 for Chelsea, can Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang break the curse?
Chelsea have a new No. 9. While it’s good news for all their goal-scoring issues, history tells us otherwise. The No.9 has been a cursed shirt to be worn at Stamford Bridge for many years now, and the Blues will be hoping that their latest addition, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would finally break the dreaded curse.
Aubameyang, who was signed from Barcelona inherits the shirt from Belgian superstar Romelu Lukaku, who was signed just last summer but left the club to join Inter Milan, just one season later. Lukaku was expected to be the player to break the curse, but he has instead joined a large list of illustrious names to fall short.
A former Arsenal player leaving Barcelona to join Chelsea is not new for the fans, and Aubameyang is following in the footsteps of Cesc Fabregas in making a similar transfer to Stamford Bridge. The 33-year-old is coming here on the back of an excellent yet short stint in Spain.
An Arsenal superstar in his own right, Aubameyang’s relationship with the Gunners didn’t end on the best of notes. He fell out with Mikel Arteta and found himself cast aside. He was deemed finished by the Arsenal fans but Barcelona decided to give the Gabonese striker a new lease of life.
Barcelona were struggling last season in the absence of a natural striker and found themselves languishing midtable when they took the punt on Aubameyang. The 33-year-old joined the Spanish giants on a free transfer on deadline day in January, and boy, what an impact he had!
Aubameyang took to Spanish football like fish to water, immediately setting the stage alight at Camp Nou. He did not take too long to get his first hat trick with a sensational performance against Valencia and Barcelona fans will always remember him for his unbelievable performance in the El Classico as he helped his team win 4-0 against their arch-rivals.
Aubameyang might be 33. He might not be the best at linking play and playing short passes and combinations. One thing that the Gabonese striker knows though is putting the ball into the back of the net. He is still very quick and his instincts in front of goal are as sharp as they have ever been.
In front of goal last season, Aubameyang scored 10 goals from an xG of 8.83. This clearly shows that he is just the kind of player that Chelsea need in front of goal, someone who knows his way inside the box and can get on the end of balls and finish clinically.
In Reece James and Marc Cucurella/ Ben Chilwell, Chelsea have one of the deadliest fullback pairings in the entire league. The former in particular puts in so many top-quality balls into the box which Aubameyang can feed on, with the help of his positioning and striker instincts.
We can take the example of the game that Chelsea played against Tottenham earlier this season. It was an ill-tempered affair that ended 2-2 in the end. Anyone who watched that game will know that Thomas Tuchel’s men were by far the better team on the day.
There was a lot of controversy after the game regarding the second Tottenham goal that Chelsea conceded and to be fair, it was a goal that must have not stood. What people forgot though was the insane number of chances that the Blues had to put the game to bed much earlier, which they failed to take.
A player like Aubameyang is likely to put at least one if not more of those chances away and that game is an example of why Chelsea desperately needed a traditional No.9. Now, they have got one with the pedigree and the experience to succeed in the Premier League.
Aubameyang and Chelsea feel like the perfect marriage. The Blues now have the striker that they have been craving and the Gabonese veteran is also at a club where he can get regular game time and be the main man upfront, as he looks to continue his good form from last season.
If there are any doubts if Aubameyang is motivated, just ask Xavi Hernandez. The former Arsenal man shut down all his haters with his performances for Barcelona. Now, he is back in the Premier League and there is a feeling that he has unfinished business here.
More Chelsea News:
- Thiago Silva wanted Lucas Paqueta to sign for Chelsea instead of West Ham United
- Transfer News: Chelsea to return for Edson Alvarez in January
- Thomas Tuchel rates the business done by Chelsea in the summer window
Yes, there is no doubt that Pierre Emerick Aubameyang is a short-term solution for the Blues. However, he is a very solid solution and I think that the Gabonese striker will finally be the player who breaks the curse of the No.9 shirt at Stamford Bridge.
