Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has hit back at criticism of his club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from pundits whom he claims make comments ‘without really knowing the detail’.
The Gabonese forward has had an underwhelming season since signing a three-year contract extension at the start of the campaign - scoring just 10 Premier League goals - and has been the subject of criticism.
Following Arsenal ’s three-goal home loss against Liverpool, Sky Sports pundits Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher were both critical of the 31-year-old’s performance.
Neville claimed that the Gunners front six were playing like a ‘little Mafia’ as he critiqued their application and work ethic, while Carragher likened Aubameyang’s situation with that of Mesut Ozil - due to the player’s age and wage packet.
However, that defeat to Liverpool preceded the news that Aubameyang had been diagnosed with malaria - but he has since returned to action.
Arsenal boss Arteta has claimed that it is common that there is talk by pundits and the media on situations when they are not aware of the details.
The former Borussia Dortmund striker netted in Sunday’s 2-0 win at Newcastle and his boss is confident he can return to his best form.
Arteta has responded: “Again they are all the time free to talk.
“My job and my responsibility is to protect the players and to get the maximum out of them. Obviously we know certain things that the outside world doesn’t know and they can comment but sometimes without really knowing the details.
“We make decisions that sometimes people are judging but without really knowing the detail. That criticism is part of our job.
“He played well and he felt much better than the days before that. Scoring a goal is really important for him as well so he’s in a good place.”
