Former Arsenal captain Gilberto Silva has urged Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to "be more involved" by demanding the ball from his teammates and taking the game by the scruff of the neck.

Aubameyang is in a poor run of form with just two goals in 10 Premier League games leading to mounting criticism of the striker.

"There's no doubt for me that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is a fantastic player," Silva told Ladbrokes. "He has been so great for Arsenal since he joined the club.

"In the last few games he hasn't performed in the way everyone has expected in comparison to last season.

"But it's time for everyone to stick together and support the guy. Make his life easier. Pass him the ball.

"He has to be more involved in the game. Look for him, get it to him on the floor, where he can face players one-on-one. Give him a good ball to work with.

"If you watch the last game against Wolves, there were a lot of crosses coming in for him, and it was tough for him against the Wolves defence, where everyone was very well positioned.

"But if his teammates can make his life easier, then I have no doubt he can make as big an impact as he did last season."