Bizarre reason Aubameyang missed out on his first hat-trick of the season for Arsenal
- Aubameyang was clear on a hat-trick having scored a brace in the second half of Arsenal's 3-0 win over Newcastle
- However, he did not see out the rest of the match as he was withdrawn in the 79th minute shortly after he had scored his second goal
- Mikel Arteta later revealed the star striker needed a toilet break as he had stomach issues
- Auba will now be hoping to build on his new-found form after struggling for scoring boots in the league for weeks now
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Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was in fine shape for Arsenal on Monday night, January 18, as he netted a brace to guide the Gunners to a 3-0 comfortable win over struggling Newcastle United.
Auba, who has struggled to find his scoring boots this season broke the deadlock at the Emirates shortly after the second half of the tie to make up for an earlier missed chance in the first half.
Thomas Partey, who was making a return to the fold from injury played an integral part in the opener as he set up Aubameyang for the goal.
Youngster Bukayo Saka doubled Arsenal's lead in the 60th minute before Aubameyang completed his brace on the night in the 77th minute to put the game beyond the visitors.
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However, it has now emerged the Gabonese striker missed out on a glorious chance to score a hat-trick as he had to be subbed off.
Auba was withdrawn in the 79th minute of the clash just moments after he scored his second goal, with Willian taking his place.
The 31-year-old was well in line for a hat-trick given the Magpies were already dampened but had to be substituted with close to 15 minutes to go.
According to Mikel Arteta, he made the decision at the request of the striker who needed a toilet break with a "stomach issue."
"Yeah, he had to go in so we had to change it,” said Arteta as cited by Mirror.
Arteta further took time to hail the forward for rediscovering his form, noting it will boost his confidence going forward.
"But those goals today will give him good confidence so that's good for the team," the Arsenal boss said.
Aubameyang will be hoping to add to the tally when Arsenal battle Southampton in their next league fixture.
The comfortable win over Newcastle saw the north Londoners climb up the ladder to 10th with 27 points.
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng had earlier reported that a second half brace from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bukayo Saka's goal proved to be decisive as resurgent Arsenal stunned Newcastle United 3-0 on Monday night, January 18, at the Emirates.
The Gunners were desperate to return to winning ways after being held to a disappointing draw against Crystal Palace in their last Premier League outing.
The north London side were in high spirits ahead of the Newcastle meeting as they had beaten the same side a little over a week ago in the third round of the FA Cup.
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Akan Anwankwo Akan Anwankwo is a sports editor, a graduate of English Language and Literature Studies at the University of Lagos. He's passionate about what he does and finds fulfillment in informing readers.
Khadijah Thabit (Copyeditor) Khadijah Thabit is an editor with over 3 years of experience editing and managing contents such as articles, blogs, newsletters and social leads. She has a BA in English and Literary Studies from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Khadijah joined Legit.ng in September 2020 as a copyeditor and proofreader for the Human Interest, Current Affairs, Business, Sports and PR desks. As a grammar police, she develops her skills by reading novels and dictionaries. Email: khadeeejathabit@gmail.com