Mikel Arteta has been told who he must include in his starting line-up vs Leeds United

Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Garth Crooks has admitted that he feels as though Mikel Arteta made a costly error by not handing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang a start in Arsenal's defeat to Aston Villa at the weekend.

After leaving the UK for a period of time to be with his Mother, who was ill, Aubameyang returned to the country ahead of the clash with Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, January 30.

In normal circumstances, Aubameyang could have be thrown straight back into the fold, but, of course, we are not currently living in normal times, with the coronavirus pandemic continuing to cause troubles.

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The Gunners skipper, however, was restored to the match-day squad against Wolverhampton Wanderers last week at Molineux, starting on the bench, before taking up residency amongst the substitutes once again against Villa.

For Crooks, though, Arteta's decision to leave the Gabon international on the bench from the start against Dean Smith's side proved costly, as the Gunners struggled to impose themselves in the final third after Ollie Watkins' early opener.

With that in mind, Crooks does not believe Arteta can afford to not play Aubameyang from the start now that he is back available.

“Aston Villa were run ragged by West Ham in midweek but recovered well against an Arsenal side who lacked cutting edge,” Crooks told the BBC.

“I know Nicolas Pepe scored against Wolves last week but can Arsenal really afford to leave someone of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s class on the bench?

“I don’t think so. Having got his team back on track with some decent results, Mikel Arteta’s meddling again.”

Whilst Aubameyang has failed to hit the heights that he did last season, he did score twice in the 3-0 win over Newcastle United last month prior to being called away on family business, potentially acting as a catalyst for him to rediscover his form.

With the Gunners have scored just one goal in their last three matches, Aubameyang could be needed against Leeds United on Sunday in an attempt to get the juices flowing in the final third once again.