Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Powers Arsenal to Impressive Comeback vs. Tottenham

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice as Arsenal came from behind to beat bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur 4-2 at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday in a tempestuous and thrilling north London derby.

Aubameyang fired Arsenal in front from the penalty spot nine minutes in after referee Mike Dean penalised Jan Vertonghen for handball, as the Gunners enjoyed an electric start to the contest.

However, after Arsenal failed to take further chances, Spurs pulled level through Eric Dier on the half-hour mark as Bernd Leno failed to keep out his near-post header from a Christian Eriksen free-kick.

Two minutes later, Dean awarded the visitors a penalty after Rob Holding carelessly dived in on Heung-min Son—though contact appeared to be minimal—and Harry Kane dispatched the spot-kick.

As the match swung again, Aubameyang equalised for the hosts 11 minutes into the second half with a fine first-time finish from the edge of the area.

Two goals in two minutes from Alexandre Lacazette and Lucas Torreira put Arsenal in front again as the Gunners continued their impressive revival.

Things went from bad to worse for Spurs late on as Vertonghen saw red for a poor challenge on Lacazette, which earned him his second booking of the day.

Aubameyang, Lacazette's Brilliance Makes Arsenal True Contenders Again

In the latter period of former manager Arsene Wenger's reign at Arsenal, the lack of an elite goalscorer often proved costly for them as they struggled to keep up with their rivals.

However, after bringing Aubameyang and Lacazette in last season, the Frenchman has left behind two excellent strikers to give successor Unai Emery a strong platform to work from. 

After a confidently struck penalty gave his side the lead, Aubameyang channelled an Arsenal legend to score his second, per ESPN FC's Mattias Karen:

As OptaJoe demonstrated, he's a potent threat in front of goal when he hits the target:

Lacazette, who was brought on at half-time with the Gunners trailing, made his impact when he slid in a deflected effort off Dier to put his side back in front.

The pair have been deadly this season:

Aubameyang made another impressive contribution soon after, as it was he who slipped in Torreira to make sure of the three points for Arsenal.

Winning the Premier League title will almost certainly be beyond Arsenal this season—they're eight points behind leaders Manchester City—but they leapfrogged Spurs into the top four with this win.

With Aubameyang and Lacazette firing on all cylinders, they're turning the Gunners into top-level contenders once again.

Unsung Hero Son as Crucial to Spurs as Kane or Eriksen

While he ended up on the losing side on Sunday, it was not due to a lack of effort on Son's part as he put in an impressive shift, particularly in the first half.

The Gunners couldn't handle his pace or direct movement, and his willingness to run at their back line offered a different dimension to his team-mates in attack.

Although Dean's decision was controversial given Son went down under little contact from Holding, football writer Huw Davies enjoyed the Korean's contribution:

Football analyst Dave O'Brien shared his numbers from the first half, in which he also demonstrated his impressive work rate:

The likes of Kane, Eriksen and Dele Alli tend to grab the headlines much more than Son, but he was the driving force behind Spurs' initial comeback and gives them a unique spark.

While his work may not always be as recognised, he's as important to the Lilywhites' cause as any other.

What's Next

Arsenal play Manchester United at Old Trafford while Spurs host Southampton, with both games taking place on Wednesday.

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