Martin Keown believes Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang can become like Thierry Henry once he starts to believe he can carry Arsenal

Arsenal v Manchester City - Carabao Cup Final - Wembley Stadium
Arsenal v Manchester City - Carabao Cup Final - Wembley Stadium

Arsenal host Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates on Sunday in what is expected to be another fierce north London derby clash.

Only three points separate both sides heading into matchday 14 and bragging rights apart, the striking duo of Harry Kane and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will be relishing the chance to outdo the other after their impressive start to the campaign in front of goal.

The Spurs man has seven league goals to his name so far this season, while his Gunners counterpart tops the charts with eight – alongside Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero.

Victory for either side could come down to the duo’s performance on Sunday, and former Arsenal centre-back Martin Keown believes the Gabonese can be the man to carry the team going forward.

“He has been in fine goalscoring form but I believe he can be even more ruthless. There are still chances that he misses. He just needs to have a little more self-belief,” Keown wrote in his Daily Mail column.

“I have said before that Aubameyang is the closest thing to Thierry Henry and he reminds me of Henry when he first arrived at Arsenal. Once Henry realised that his performances could take the team to another level, he flourished.

“Aubameyang’s stats are already outstanding. When he starts to believe that he can be the man to carry this team, he will get even better.”

The 29-year-old has been in fine form since arriving the Emirates from Borussia Dortmund in January, and he has since established himself as one of Arsenal’s most important players.

Aubameyang can also feature out wide in order to accommodate Alexandre Lacazette upfront, and it remains to be seen if manager Unai Emery will opt to start both of them against Tottenham.

Thierry remains Arsenal best goalscorer of all time, and the Gabonese will have to keep improving and attempt to win at least two league titles if he is to ever become as legendary as the Frenchman is.

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