Pierre Emerick Aubameyang

#PLStories – #DarrenBent believes #PierreEmerickAubameyang is dropping off in performance after Arsenal renewed his contract #ArsenalFC

Darren Bent has questioned whether Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has lost his intensity since signing a new three-year contract at Arsenal. The Gunners captain has continually proved his worth to the club since joining from Borussia Dortmund in 2018. Aubameyang netted 22 goals in the Premier League last season, including twice in the FA Cup final win over Chelsea. But there were fears that Arsenal would have to sell their star player with his contract running down, but the striker committed his long-term future to the club by penning a new three-year contract worth in the region of £250,000-a-week - a whopping £36million over the duration of his deal. Since then, however, Aubameyang has only netted once this season - in the opening day victory over Fulham and there have been fears that the striker's performances levels have dropped off. Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will auto-play soon8Cancel Speaking on talkSPORT, former Tottenham and Charlton striker Bent said he is just as worried about the player's performances in general since penning the new deal as he is about his lack of goals. "It's not the fact he hasn't scored a goal, it's the performances," Bent said. "Before he signed his contract he was absolutely everywhere - running back, tracking back, putting tackles in, breaking forward. Read More Related Articles Read More Related Articles "There was a real hunger and intensity to his game. "At the minute, you can see there's been a massive drop off. I don't know if it's coincided with the new contract, but you can tell that he's not playing with the same intensity that he had before. "When you focus so much on getting a new deal like Aubameyang did, you'll run that extra yard and make that extra effort. Sign up to our Arsenal newsletter for Gunners updates By signing up for our Arsenal newsletter, you will receive a once-daily email, focused around goings-on at Emirates Stadium. You won't miss a thing when it comes to the Gunners - you'll get all you need to know directly into your inbox. We'll also send out special newsletters with any big breaking news too. How do you sign up? It's easy and only takes seconds. Simply type your email address into the box at the top of this article - or any article on the Arsenal section of football.london in fact - labelled 'Get the biggest daily stories by email' and click 'Subscribe'. And that's it, you're all set. If you decide later that you no longer wish to receive the emails, simply follow the unsubscribe link in one of the newsletters - but we don't think you'll want to. For more details, click here. "When he sits down now and analyses his performances before and after the contract he'll see that there's been a massive change." The 31-year-old will have two opportunities to get back on the scoresheet this week when Arsenal take on Rapid Vienna in the Europa League on Thursday. The Gunners then welcome Leicester City to the Emirates in the Premier League on Sunday, where Mikel Arteta's side will be hoping to bounce back from the defeat to Manchester City.
Jamie Vardy

#PLStories – #BrendanRodgers confirms #JamieVardy will be fit to play against Arsenal #LCFC #ArsenalFC

Leicester City are set to be boosted by the return of frontman Jamie Vardy for this weekend's trip to Arsenal. The Foxes were without their star striker for Sunday's 1-0 defeat by Aston Villa and he is expected to sit out the Europa League clash with Zorya on Thursday evening as well. However, boss Brendan Rodgers says Vardy should be back for this Sunday's Premier League clash at the Emirates Stadium (7.15pm kick-off). "Jamie will probably miss Thursday [v Zorya]", said Rodgers. "It's a recurrence of a problem he’s had for a number of years with his calves. "This isn’t serious so we're hopeful he’ll be ready for the next league game." Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will auto-play soon8Cancel Vardy's potential return will send shivers down the spine at Arsenal with the 33-year-old having an outstanding record against the Gunners. In the 11 games Vardy has played against Arsenal during his career, he has scored 10 goals - including one in both games last season - and registered one assist. And it would take a brave person to go against him for the game in north London as he has scored five goals in four matches so far in 2020/21. Read More Related Articles Read More Related Articles That included a hat-trick in the incredible 5-2 victory at Manchester City at the end of September. One player definitely missing for Leicester against the Gunners will be Turkish defender Caglar Soyuncu. He faces around three months on the sidelines with an abductor tear. How to get our daily Arsenal newsletter Why should you sign up? In each football.london Arsenal bulletin, we'll be bringing you the latest breaking news, transfer features and comment pieces, as well as the key talking points for fans. We'll also send special newsletters when big stories break or there's a special event happening. How do you sign up? It's easy and only takes seconds. Simply type your email address into the box at the top of this article - or any article on the Arsenal section of football.london in fact - labelled 'Get the biggest daily stories by email' and click 'Subscribe'. And that's it, you're all set. If you decide later that you no longer wish to receive the emails, simply follow the unsubscribe link in one of the newsletters - but we don't think you'll want to. For more details, click here. Rodgers said: "Caglar is more serious [than Vardy]. The muscle has come right off the bone so could be three months out. "He'll be a big miss for us. "We got some game time from James Maddison and Dennis Praet (against Villa) but we're having to piece things together a bit."