Tim Sherwood criticises Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang over weekend penalty

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Former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood criticised Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for allowing Nicolas Pepe to take the penalty which made the score 1-1 against Aston Villa on Sunday.

As per Premier League Productions, via Metro, Sherwood took exception to Aubameyang handing the ball to Pepe at a crucial stage of the game, despite the fact the spot-kick went in.

He said: “I’m not happy with it. You’re not a pub team, you’re not in the Sunday League where you think, ‘I’m going to help my mate out, you can take this one because I’ve scored a few goals this year’. ‘You’re behind in the game, you need that goal.

“Stick to the plan, Aubameyang takes penalties. He just says to his mate ‘go on you have a go this time’. Don’t just give it to him because you want to give him a leg up and get his career started at Arsenal. Put the ball in the back of the net, let him create his own chances. I don’t want nice men, I want winners.”

TBR’s View – Pepe sidestepped a penalty controversy by slotting home

Manchester United and Chelsea have both already been embroiled in penalty controversies where an on-pitch decision has been made over who should take it – only for Paul Pogba and Ross Barkley to miss.

If Pepe had missed at such a crucial point of the match, the same questions would have been asked of Unai Emery, especially at a time when Arsenal are getting it in the neck from all angles.

Sherwood’s comments may come over as a former Tottenham man being unnecessarily harsh – and there might be an element of that – but his point is sound. It’s only Pepe’s accuracy which has got Emery off the hook over a media lynching.