Mikel Arteta’s decision to sell Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is one of the reasons why Arsenal are “playing out of their skin” at the moment, according to Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.
Arteta took a hard line on Aubameyang earlier in the season, disciplining him for breaking team rules before freezing him out, stripping him of the captaincy and ultimately allowing him to join Barcelona on a free transfer in January.
Aubameyang was club captain and the main source of goals at Arsenal and the wisdom of leaving him out of the team was questioned by some at the time.
When the Gunners failed to recruit a new striker to replace the Gabon international in the January transfer window, it looked as though they might struggle.
But the 2-0 win over Leicester City in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon means the Gunners have now won five games in succession to move up to fourth place.
Aubameyang’s exit was contentious at the time, but former Chelsea striker Hasselbaink believes the team are now reaping the benefits.
"He was not leading the team in the way that he should be leading a team,” he said on Sky Sports’ coverage of the Leicester game.
“It was better to let him go and get the team together. You can see they are playing out of their skin."
Thomas Partey opened the scoring against Leicester with a near-post header before a handball by Caglar Soyuncu allowed Alexandre Lacazette to double the lead from the penalty spot.
That was Lacazette’s first goal in 10 games, but the Frenchman has been brilliant in other departments, returning four assists in the previous four games.
The 30-year-old forward has also stepped up to become club captain since Aubameyang’s departure and has helped foster a brilliant team spirit.
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"We appreciate and understand the work he does for us in certain areas and today we are happy he has been able to score," Arteta told Sky Sports.
The Gunners boss also spoke about the good feeling around the club at the moment – something which has been notable since Aubameyang left.
"You can sense and feel they are having a good time together and that translates on the pitch,” he told Sky Sports.
He added in his post-match press conference: “I think that’s the way it should be. If the players representing the club are not happy then we have to go somewhere else because we are doing something wrong.
“They have the joy of being players and they have to enjoy it. It’s all about that.”
Martin Odegaard turned in yet another eye-catching performance and the Norwegian made a similar point in his post-match interview.
"We have a very strong belief in the group and play with a lot of confidence,” he told Sky Sports.
“We just have to keep going. We have a lot of confidence in the team now and everyone believes in what we are doing. We are strong as a team and that is the most important thing."
