Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Football London
Football London
Sport
Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang may have already hinted if he will celebrate Chelsea goal vs Arsenal

Players celebrating against their former clubs, some do it whilst others opt against it as a sign of respect.

Already this season, Erling Haaland took the latter approach after finding the back of the net for Manchester City against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League as he simply raised his hands - almost apologetically to the visiting fans - as his teammates rushed to congratulate him.

Over the years it has been a mixed bag for Arsenal supporters. Cesc Fabregas' celebrations were muted after scoring for Chelsea in February 2017, but numerous former players from Nicolas Anelka to Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott haven't exactly held back when returning to haunt their old club.

READ MORE: Mohamed Elneny says Arsenal dressing room has no 'big egos’ and reflects on Aubameyang departure

Of course, the title of 'most iconic goal celebration against a former club' goes to Emmanuel Adebayor. 12 years ago in his first appearance against Arsenal after joining Manchester City, the striker leaped to meet a Shaun Wright-Phillips cross to send a header past Manuel Almunia and give the hosts a 3-1 lead.

Then all hell broke loose as he sprinted the length of the pitch to celebrate right in front of the Arsenal fans. That decision ultimately saw Adebayor receive a suspended two-match ban and a £25,000 fine after being found guilty by the Football Association of improper conduct.

Why did he celebrate in this manner? Well, it was a direct response to the abuse he had been receiving from the travelling supporters: "There is only so much abuse a man can take until he reaches breaking point. I could not understand some of the Arsenal players being disrespectful towards me," he said.

"I was being abused by people who six months ago were singing my name. The abuse was for no reason. It wasn’t my fault I left, it was Arsene [Wenger] who wanted to accept the offer for me. If you were to abuse a man in the street for over an hour he would react and it would be a worse reaction than a goal celebration."

For good reason, there hasn't been an as exuberant goal celebration against a former club ever since but with Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in line to face Arsenal for the first time since his rather controversial exit at the beginning of the year, it has been suggested that history could repeat itself.

"There is always that fear of if Aubameyang will come back to haunt Arteta after the break-up," talkSPORT pundit and Chelsea fan Jason Cundy said. "There’s that lovely little twist that only football can give you. We all remember Adebayor running the length of the pitch at Man City. Will he be making that same run Aubameyang? I don’t know."

READ MORE: Mudryk or Zaha sign, Tielemans agreement - transfers Arsenal must complete in January window

Would Aubameyang take a leaf out of Adebayor's book if he scores against Arsenal on Sunday? Is there a scenario where he celebrates a goal by doing his trademark front-flip right in front of Mikel Arteta? Or will he show the ultimate sign of respect by keeping things muted?

Only he knows the answer to that, but it's worth pointing out that despite joining Chelsea and recent remarks about Arteta, the relationship between Aubameyang and some Arsenal supporters is not even close to being as toxic as the one with Adebayor, so perhaps that rules out a repeat of that scenario.

Furthermore, the fact that Aubameyang has a tattoo of himself in an Arsenal shirt on his right arm and is depicted walking down the tunnel at the Emirates Stadium accompanied by his two children, who are also wearing 'Aubameyang 14' jerseys, might be another hint that he would opt against celebrating against his former club.

After all, the 33-year-old made it clear in his Instagram exit post that he was grateful to the club and its supporters: "To the Arsenal fans, thank you for making London home for myself and my family for the past four years," he wrote. "We went through ups and downs together and your support meant everything to me."

However, with his: "Arsenal, nothing personal. I'm back, I'm blue, I'm ready. Let's go" message as part of a promotion for the game on BT Sports not being well received, the reception Aubameyang receives at Stamford Bridge from the fans that used to adore him might just prompt a change of heart.

READ NEXT:

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang sends sly Arsenal message ahead of Mikel Arteta reunion with Chelsea

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta provides Takehiro Tomiyasu injury update amid Chelsea doubt

Arsenal player ratings vs FC Zurich - Tierney's Chelsea claim, Lokonga impresses, Jesus angst

Edu given transfer redemption to finally sign ideal Arsenal midfielder amid Barcelona discontent

When is the Europa League draw? Knockout round play-offs and Arsenal last-16 opponents explained

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.