Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has revealed that Aston Villa central defender Tyrone Mings is the toughest central defender he has ever faced.
32-year-old Aubameyang left Arsenal after four years last month and has already enjoyed a stellar start to life at the Camp Nou as a Barcelona player.
The striker notched a hat-trick on his first La Liga start away at Valencia, his second treble of the season after his first came while still a Gunners star in the Carabao Cup.
The Gabon international spent just under half a decade in the Premier League, as well as five years in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund and as a result has battled with some of the finest defenders European football has to offer.
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The likes of Mats Hummels, Virgil van Dijk and Vincent Kompany have all posed a test for Aubameyang at different stages of his career, but the former Arsenal star told Mundo Deportivo none of aforementioned trio were the most difficult to deal with.
"Toughest opponent I've faced? Tyrone Mings," the ex-Arsenal striker said.
Mings has faced Arsenal and Aubameyang a number of times both as an AFC Bournemouth and Aston Villa player - and an incident during 'Project Restart' perhaps helps explain his left-field choice.
During 'Project Restart', following the resumption of the Premier League following the Covid-19 suspension, Arsenal travelled to Villa Park and lost 1-0 thanks to a goal from Trezeguet.
But it was a passage in the build-up that had everyone talking at full-time. Aubameyang was caught in close-up footage laughing and joking with Mings before being caught napping as the defender raced ahead of him and he was unable to keep with his man.
After the game, Arsenal fans took to social media to make their feelings towards the striker clear and claimed he had been "mugged off".
The former north London favourite has since tried to keep his legacy with the Arsenal fans in tact after his exit by insisting he only had a problem with manager Mikel Arteta.
At his official Barcelona unveiling, the striker was asked whether his problems at the Emirates were solely centred around the Spaniard.
He replied: "I think it was only with him and then he took this decision," Aubameyang replied. "He wasn’t happy and that’s it. I was calm."
It is thought that the striker angered his manager by returning late from a mid-season trip to France to see family members during a dismal run of on-field form.
