Pierre-Emerick Auabmeyang has emphatically responded to Mikel Arteta's claims that he didn't apply himself in training as he netted a hattrick for Barcelona.
The Gabon international is settling into life at the Nou Camp as he scored his first goals for Barca against Valencia on Sunday afternoon en route to a 4-1 win at the Mestalla.
Aubameyang scored the opening goal for the visitors before the former Arsenal star followed up Frenkie De Jong's strike to put Barcelona in cruise control at the break.
Carlos Soler grabbed one back for the hosts, before Aubameyang restored Barca's three-goal lead as he notched his hattrick, a strike which was originally awarded to Pedri.
Aubameyang will be glad to have put the bitter end to his time at Arsenal fully behind him after a public fallout with Arteta that led to his departure.
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The writing was on the wall for the former Dortmund talisman after he was stripped of the captaincy and banished from the first-team squad after arriving back late from a sanctioned trip to France.
The Arsenal boss opened up on Aubameyang's exit last week suggesting the 32-year-old's poor application on the training field was not up to the required standard, something that was noticed by his teammates.
Asked if he could have given Aubameyang more leeway given his senior status, Arteta replied: "I don’t think I am too hard on that to be fair. I don’t know the perception externally. There are some minimums and a line you cannot cross.
"If someone is going to cross it because they scored 25 or 30 goals that dressing room has to accept it. First of all you have to score 25 or 30 goals.
"Maybe they said ‘listen guys don’t train, you train once a week and you play’. They will decide. If they are happy with that and with me there is no problem.
"If they are happy and can live with that, everyone is happy. You have to do it though, hey?"
Asked if the squad weren’t willing to accept a lack of effort from a star player, Arteta added: ‘I don’t work with impressions I work with facts. I like to see, I want to smell and sense where this is going and if possible anticipate issues.’
Aubameyang claimed it was a problem with Arteta that drove him to leave the club but the striker hasn't gone into more detail with the situation.
But if he continues to do his talking on the pitch, Arsenal's decision to let him go could look more and more costly.
Aubameyang's departure means the only two recognised no.9s at the club are Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah, who are both out of contract in the summer, and the club might not have enough firepower to seal a top-four finish.
