After the former Arsenal striker's sixth goal for the club helped cement a 4-0 win over Osasuna on Sunday, Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez described Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as a "gift from the sky."
After Ferran Torres scored his brace at Camp Nou, Aubameyang, 32, added the third goal just before halftime. Barca's lead over second-placed Sevilla was sliced to five points with a game in hand when substitute Riqui Puig completed the scoring after the break. Barca has now scored four goals in four of their last nine games, putting an end to their goal-scoring woes from the start of the season. Aubameyang, Torres, and Adama Traore, all signed in January, have aided in the transformation of the team's offensive.
"Aubameyang is a gift from the sky," Xavi remarked of the Gabonese forward, who joined on a free transfer after Arsenal decided to end his contract.
“It's not just about [the objectives], but also about how he trains and his professionalism. [All the players] set an example for him."
Torres, a €55 million signing from Manchester City, opened the score against Osasuna from the penalty spot and added the second after superb work from Ousmane Dembele. Since joining Barcelona, the Spain international has been chastised for his finishing, but he already has five goals.
"I’ve always said that Ferran would score the goals," Xavi added. "He's scored goals for Valencia, City, and the Spanish national team, among other clubs. It was only a matter of time before the situation became untenable. I'm quite pleased with his progress." Xavi also lauded Sunday's third front three member, Dembele. The French winger has been booed in recent weeks after a contract standoff, with his current contract expiring in June, but he's won back supporters with assists, including two more against Osasuna.
"You make people happy when you perform," Xavi explained. "Fans can see him giving his all for Barca, and you can't fool them. Today, he was superb."
Following a string of excellent results under Xavi, Barca are currently riding a wave of joy. They were eighth in LaLiga when the former player took over, but they are currently third, having gone undefeated in their last 12 league games, and are closing in on Sevilla, who drew this weekend. They are still 12 points behind leaders Real Madrid, whom they will face in the Clasico next Sunday at the Santiago Bernabeu.
“Even if we beat Madrid, winning LaLiga is a big task," Xavi stated. "It's mainly because Madrid aren't stumbling ." They've only lost twice in their whole history. We can't be too optimistic because they'd have to drop points four times. However, the sensations are fantastic. We can compete against anyone if we can bring this kind of effort to every game. Everyone is having a good time, which may be difficult in today's football. We enhanced our ball movement and added the intensity we lacked in the goalless draw against Galatasaray on Thursday. The victory instills a lot of confidence in us." Prior to the Clasico, Barca will play Galatasaray in the second leg of their Europa League last 16 tie on Thursday in Istanbul. Gerard Pique, a defender, will be alright, despite coming off against Osasuna, according to Xavi.
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