Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Says Arsenal's Front 3 'Need to Improve'

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has said Arsenal's front three have work to do after Sunday's 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur, although he's confident more is to come from his partnership with Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pepe.

The Gunners earned a point in the season's first north London derby thanks to goals from Lacazette and Aubameyang. It was the first time Aubameyang, Lacazette and club-record signing Nicolas Pepe, who arrived from Lille this summer in a deal set to be worth £72 million, started together.

Aubameyang, who netted the equaliser in the 71st minute, assessed how well Arsenal's new-look attacking trio performed, per beIN Sports (h/t Metro): "I think we still need to improve as well. We did some good things today but as I always say, we can always progress and I'm looking forward to playing with those two more."

Sunday's stalemate was the second time in three matches Lacazette and Aubameyang have accounted for all the Gunners' goals. They both found the net to beat Burnley 2-1 in Arsenal's home opener in August.

These two scoring is nothing new since they accounted for 50 goals in all competitions last season. Yet Aubameyang is right to hint the best is yet to come from their burgeoning partnership with Pepe.

The winger's arrival has brought unpredictability and excitement to Arsenal's play, with Pepe assisting Lacazette's goal against Spurs.

Yet Pepe's inclusion in the team has also prompted head coach Unai Emery to ditch playing two centre-forwards and move Aubameyang out wide. The 30-year-old is not a natural winger, though, and is more effective through the middle.

It's where Aubameyang was when he got his foot to a Matteo Guendouzi cross to equalise in the 71st minute. The finish was one of a true striker whose skills were endorsed by BBC Match of the Day host and former Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and England centre-forward Gary Lineker:

Forcing Aubameyang onto the flank blunts the efficiency of the Arsenal attacker with the keenest instincts for sensing and reacting to chances:

The ideal scenario for Emery is for Aubameyang to adapt his game and make this reshuffled forward line click. Then the Gunners would have an attacking trio similar to the front three who thrive for Liverpool.

The Reds rely on Roberto Firmino as a false nine who feeds the runs from out to in of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah. There are signs Lacazette could adopt a role similar to Firmino's for Emery.

The Frenchman dropped deeper to win the ball and also pressed high to force turnovers for Aubameyang and Pepe to pounce on:

Like Aubameyang, Lacazette is being tasked with adjusting his game to make this front three work. It's a process sure to take time and more minutes playing together to develop the rapport any goalscoring unit needs to thrive.

Fortunately for Emery and Arsenal, Lacazette, who was substituted for Henrikh Mkhitaryan with an apparent problem on 67 minutes, isn't expected to miss time:

Emery needs his three marquee forwards to continue working on their timing, movement and combinations. It's a raw work-in-progress now, but Arsenal's front three have the potential to be as effective as any in Europe.