The Athletic journalist David Ornstein says Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has not lost his confidence despite his struggles in front of goal this campaign.

The 31-year-old has not scored from open play in the Premier League since the opening day of the season, and Ornstein believes the player is unhappy both due to the Gunners’ position in the table and his own performances:

“We’re told that his confidence is rock-solid, and it looks more an unhappiness that things aren’t going well for the club, or for him on the pitch at the moment.”

Aubameyang’s drop off in form is alarming and while some of that can be attributed to the fact that Arsenal are simply not creating enough chances for the striker to score, that is not the full story.

His xG is just 3.7 this season, indicating he has had very few decent chances in front of goal. Having scored four in all competitions, he is effectively matching his xG.

However, if we contrast that with last season, we can begin to see the problem. He scored 29 goals with an xG of only 18.7, meaning he overperformed by over ten goals. That is simply not happening anymore suggesting his finishing has dipped sharply this campaign.