Arsenal star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had 'big balls' to take late penalty in north London derby, claims Granit Xhaka

Xhaka consoles Aubameyang after his costly miss
Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Granit Xhaka has defended Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, saying the Arsenal top scorer had 'big balls' to step up and take what chould have been a match-winning penalty against Tottenham.

The Gunners striker saw his injury time spot-kick saved by Spurs captain Hugo Lloris, before Jan Vertonghen blocked the follow-up, though the Belgian's encroachment means the penalty should have been retaken.

Aubameyang, who started the north London derby on the bench before replacing Alexandre Lacazette just before the hour mark, has missed two of his five Premier League penalties for Arsenal, both against top-six opposition, but did get the better of Lloris in December's victory at the Emirates.

"If you take a penalty in the derby you have big balls," Xhaka said of the striker.

"Not all of the players would have taken this one. So we are happy he took the penalty. If he scores he scores, if he doesn’t score he doesn’t score. This is football."

Getty Images

Despite Aubameyang showing the courage to step up at Wembley, Xhaka said there is nothing you can say to console a team-mate who has missed from the spot.

"In this moment you have to leave the player alone," the midfielder added. "Because he has a lot to think. He was of course not that happy.

"But we are a team, and we win and lose together. So he was unlucky today but he helps us a lot in games so it’s not something big."

Should Aubameyang have converted in injury time, Arsenal would have moved to within a point of their north London rivals and taken a tighter grip on fourth place in the race for Champions League football.

That, Xhaka insists, remains the target this season, with qualification via the Premier League the priority ahead of the Europa League.

However, whether they end the season with Europe's premier club competition returning to the Emirates next term or not, Xhaka says things have stepped up since Emery replaced Arsene Wenger in the summer.

In Pictures | Tottenham vs Arsenal | 02/03/2019

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"After Arsene Wenger left a lot of things changed at this club," he said. "We are happy with the coach and we have improved a lot, and we work a lot.

"It will be a big step if we return to the Champions League. We want to. It’s not easy but we will keep working.

"Of course it is important. Two times in three years we did not play in the Champions League and a club like Arsenal has to play in the Champions League. We need to show that on the pitch."

He continued: "We work a lot. The training sessions are very intense. You can see that weekend to weekend.

"It’s important we are there not so far from the Champions League and, like I said before, we all want to take the points and finish in the top four."

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