There was a moment just four minutes into Arsenal’s 4-0 win against Newcastle just over a week ago which perfectly encapsulated the job Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is doing under Mikel Arteta.
He wasn’t scoring or creating havoc in and around the Newcastle 18-yard box, he was instead deep inside his own penalty getting a vital toe to the ball to deny Valentino Lazaro a shooting chance following a rapid counter attack from the visitors.
Aubameyang would go on to do what he does best in the second half when he headed Arsenal in front, but when he tracked back in those opening few minutes and halted a move which could easily have ended with the Gunners falling behind, he showed once again the work rate and desire that has been the hallmark of his play since Arteta was appointed in December.
There have been many positives for Arsenal in the two months since Arteta took over, but the way Aubameyang has stepped up and led by example is arguably the biggest.
Despite being asked to play out of position on the left and to do far more defensive work than he ever did under Unai Emery, Arsenal’s captain has done it without once kicking up a fuss, while still stepping up with vital goals at the other end.
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“I’m so happy with him,” beamed Arteta after Sunday’s 3-2 win against Everton, when Aubameyang scored twice to take his tally for the season to 19 in 30 appearances.
“Obviously because he's scoring very important goals for us but as well as a captain he's giving a great example to everyone else. That a player of this calibre is able to work the way he is working defensively and he's willing and happy to do it and I think it's paying regards to him.”
When Aubameyang was handed the armband by Unai Emery amid the fall-out from Granit Xhaka’s bust-up with the Arsenal fans, there were many that questioned whether he had what it took to be a captain.
Ever since he arrived in north London there had been question marks over his attitude, fuelled mainly by the way he went about forcing his way out of Borussia Dortmund to complete his £56 ($72m / €66m) million switch the Emirates.
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But Emery was convinced the forward had the right mindset and one of the first things Arteta made clear when he replaced the Spaniard was that he wouldn’t be changing the captaincy again.
And Aubameyang has gone on to make a mockery of those who questioned his appointment - both with his performances on the pitch and his attitude off it.
The way he has handled being played out on the left hand side has been exemplary. Clearly he would prefer to be operating as the central striker, but he is doing the job being asked of him and he is doing it superbly.
“You talk about Arsenal lacking characters and leadership, I think this guy has everything you would want,” commented Gary Neville on Sky Sports earlier this week.
"I didn't know how he would adapt to being told to go and play on the left-hand side. The idea of doing a shift there when you think you're the top man and you're the goalscorer - but he seems to have really bought into it.
“He doesn't look like he has been a moment's bother since he's come to Arsenal, so all the suggestions that he could have issues off the pitch have not materialised.
"I think the doubts have got to be removed now. I feel he doesn't get appreciated anywhere as near as much as he should do.”
The fact there are still some who doubt Aubameyang is remarkable. His record since he made the move to Arsenal has been nothing short of sensational.
He has scored 60 goals in 95 appearances, while also chipping in with 13 assists. In the Premier League he has netted 49 in 74 games.
On average, he scores once every 123 minutes in the top flight, that places him fourth in the all-time record list, behind only Sergio Aguero, Harry Kane and Thierry Henry.
And that record is all the more impressive when you consider how many of those goals have come while playing on the left wing and also while playing in a side that has struggled for results and consistency.
“He’s ahead of Ruud Van Nistelrooy, who it felt like scored a goal every 10 seconds,” said Neville. “It’s unbelievable the performance from this lad over two and a half years.
“He’s not mentioned as world class, we don’t mention him as a Premier League great and I think we have to.”
That’s a view that is certainly shared by Alexandre Lacazette.
“I think people should talk more about Auba and what he is doing in the game,” said the former Lyon star.
“He is more than a goalscorer, he is working a lot for the team defensively and making space for the other striker - Eddie [Nketiah] or me.
“I think if we start to win more trophies, people will talk more about what he is doing.”
Of course the big worry for Arsenal is that the 30-year-old has now entered the last 18 months of his contract and talks over extending his stay have put on the back burner since the start of the season.
It’s a growing concern, although Arteta is adamant the situation is under control.
“The club has a very clear idea of how he wants to develop things,” said Arsenal’s head coach.
“They are in constant communication with the player’s agents and they know the plan better than I do. I completely trust them on that.”
But while the deal remains unsigned there is always a chance Aubameyang could leave and, given his age, he could not be blamed for looking elsewhere should an offer arrive from one of Europe’s top clubs.
He doesn’t owe anything to Arsenal. It’s not a similar situation to Robin van Persie, who the club had invested millions in throughout his development and had stood by during all his injury problems.
Aubameyang joined during the latter stages of his career and has delivered at a standard that few of his team-mates could match. So if a Champions League club came in for him this summer, he would be well within his right to consider a move.
What Arsenal hope is that the Arteta’s vision will be enough to convince him that he can still fulfil his ambitions in north London and that he doesn’t have to look elsewhere in the hunt for silverware.
But one thing that the past few months have shown us is that even if Aubameyang does decide to move on, he will continue to perform at the highest level right up to the moment he walks out the door.
The question as to whether he is world class shouldn’t even be a debate. Just look at the numbers, they speak for themselves.