Former Arsenal forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang enjoyed a highly successful four-year spell at the Emirates before departing for Barcelona in February 2022.
Recently, Aubameyang reacted to Arsenal’s dominant 5-1 aggregate victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals
a statement win that sent Mikel Arteta’s side into the semi-finals. Holding a 3-0 advantage from the first leg in north London, the Gunners took control early in Madrid.
Despite Bukayo Saka missing a penalty in the first half, he redeemed himself with a goal in the 65th minute.
Real Madrid briefly sparked hope through a Vinicius Jr goal, but Gabriel Martinelli sealed Arsenal’s triumph with a calm finish in stoppage time.
After Saka’s goal, he and teammate Declan Rice celebrated by mimicking a gesture made famous by Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette
bowing to each other with one hand behind their backs and the other shaking hands.
The nostalgic moment was picked up by B/R Football on X (formerly Twitter), and Aubameyang acknowledged the tribute with a handshake emoji.
Following his Arsenal exit, Aubameyang had brief stints at Barcelona and Chelsea before joining Marseille for the 2023/24 season. There, he impressed with 30 goals in 51 appearances.
However, he moved on again in the summer, signing with Saudi club Al-Qadsiah, where he has since netted 14 times in 27 games.
Even three years after his departure, the striker — who scored 92 goals for Arsenal — clearly still follows his former team’s fortunes.
Reflecting on the performance, Arteta shared his immense pride in his squad: “Probably not,” he replied when asked if he’d ever felt prouder.
“It’s not just about reaching the semi-finals for only the third time in our history, but the manner in which we did it — overcoming injuries and showing immense character.”
Arsenal now face PSG in the semi-finals, who narrowly edged out Aston Villa 5-4. Asked if his team can go all the way, Arteta responded:
“This is a huge step forward. Last year we were close, and this year we’re even stronger.
Playing in Madrid showed me just how unpredictable football is — but we handled it with real maturity.”
