Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has three goals in his last three Chelsea games to announce his arrival as the club’s no9.
The 33-year-old scored once again against AC Milan, slotting cooly into Ciprian Tatarusanu’s near post after being played in behind by a cushioned Mason Mount pass in the 34th minute at the San Siro as the visitors cruised to a 2-0 win.
The goal was a beautiful moment for a player who tried and failed to make it at Milan as a teen striker at his first professional club - ultimately failing to break in with the legendary Ronaldo leading the line.
Indeed, he was in inspired form back in Italy, producing the most shots, creating the most chances and leading the way for touches in the opposition box for players from either side, before he came off to applause with ten minutes remaining.
Yet, his transfer had been questioned in some quarters as a panic buy after the Boehly-Clearlake regime moved to complete a £14million deal to bring him in from Barcelona.
However, he has delivered since the international break after being given time to get used to his new manager Graham Potter and his surroundings at Cobham. His retirement from international duty also allowed him time to recover from the armed burglary at his house where he was hit in the face with a metal rod trying to protect his young family.
He has had to also overcome the sacking of his former coach Thomas Tuchel who had him for only one training session and used him in one match away at Dinamo Zagreb.
It was arguably too soon to throw in the former Arsenal captain who was a shell of himself against the minnows of Group E. Still, the pair boast a special relationship from their Borussia Dortmund days but that connection was cut short after the new owners opted to relieve Tuchel of his duties.
For many, that situation could have spun the player into a negative cycle but sources have said that everyone at Chelsea was behind the signing of Aubameyang.
It has been borne out in his reaction to the sacking, performing well for Potter and netting goals home and away against Milan, with the pick of the bunch for his new club the volley away at Crystal Palace.
“No, we’ve not done anything special, it’s all down to him,” Potter said after the win over Milan.
“He has been building his fitness up. We spoke before that he came from a difficult summer so it’s been a case of building up his match minutes up and the more he gets the stronger he gets, and the more we understand him the more he understands us.
“Everyone knows his quality and it’s great for him. He looks like he is enjoying his football and scoring goals is important.”
Despite having a reputation for being a difficult character during the bitter ending to his time at Arsenal, Aubameyang is understood to have been a positive presence behind the scenes.
He has slotted in well around west London, getting on with his team and all the support staff around the club.
Wearing a supposedly cursed no9 shirt, Aubameyang has taken responsibility for goal-scoring at Chelsea. Many before him have found it too much of a burden but he has taken the pressure, and all his early-season problems, fully in his stride.
