Chelsea's interim manager Frank Lampard has hinted that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could be in line for a start against his former club.
Chelsea travel to the Emirates on Tuesday in dismal form, having picked up just two points in their last eight matches across all competitions. While they have only tasted victory once on the road since last October.
The Blues are currently 12th place in the Premier League table, with relegation not beyond the realms of possibility.
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Meanwhile, Arsenal are in competition with Manchester City for their first domestic title in almost 20 years.
Although Mikel Arteta's silverware hopes took a significant hit against Pep Guardiola's side last weekend, as they were humbled 4-1 at the Emirates.
Nevertheless, form tends to go out of the window in London derbies, and Lampard reckons Aubameyang may have an extra incentive against his former club.
Aubameyang has 'certain motivation'
Aubameyang enjoyed a hugely prolific stay at the Emirates, racking up 69 goals in 142 appearances.
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However, things ended on sour terms, with Mikel Arteta banishing him from first team training due to attitude problems.
It became clear there was no way back for either party, so the 33-year-old packed his bags for Barcelona, where things didn't get much better.
Former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel decided to take a punt on the striker last summer, but he has managed just one Premier League goal all season.
Although Lampard is seemingly willing to look past the statistics, believing playing against Arsenal could reignite his 'motivation'.
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“Possibly, because we all think sometimes a player going back to their old club gives a certain motivation,” Lampard said in his pre-match press conference.
“I haven’t delved into that too much with Auba himself, so I’ll pick that position based on my feeling of how they’ve trained and what the team structure looks like.”
Featured Image Credit: PA ImagesTopics: Chelsea, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Football, Premier League, Arsenal, Mikel Arteta