LONDON: Mikel Arteta has backed Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to prove his goal drought is only temporary.

The Gabonese star went through four games without scoring until he scored the winning goal in beating Rapid Vienna 2-1 in the Europa League.

The 31-year-old Arsenal player has been the prolific blast of Arteta’s squad since his arrival from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018, but remains the focus of criticism following his accumulation this season.

Aubameyang’s poor performance during the defeat at the hands of Liverpool and Manchester City sparked disappointment among Arsenal fans.

Aubameyang has scored 19 goals in 29 appearances for Arsenal since Arteta’s appointment in December and the Gunners boss is confident his players can handle the high hopes.

“The hope for him is that he has to score in every game.

“This is normal for a player as great as he is, with what he has done before. Fans expect the same thing from him.

“We are here to help him with that, and we will continue to support him during difficult times.

“He needs to be in the chance to score more often, he needs to get more balls in the box, to do what he can,” Arteta said ahead of tomorrow’s meeting with Leicester.