Gabriel Agbonlahor, a former Aston Villa captain, has warned Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang that he may come to regret comments he made about Arsenal.
Aubameyang will face Arsenal for the first time since leaving the club in January to join Barcelona.
After several disciplinary breaches, the Gabonese attacker fell out with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and left for Barcelona.
Aubameyang was back in the Premier League seven months later, this time for Arsenal’s London rival Chelsea.
The 33-year-old appeared in a BT Sport advertisement ahead of Chelsea’s Premier League match against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge, with a warning message for the Gunners.
Aubameyang said: “Arsenal, nothing personal. I’m back, I’m blue, I’m ready.”
Speaking on the development, Agbonlahor said he was baffled by the player’s comments.
Agbonlahor said on talkSPORT: “I was a bit baffled when I saw it. I am surprised.
“I feel BT Sport would have been buzzing with getting him to say those words because it adds more spice to the game, more viewers of course. But very strange, I don’t think you need to do that.
“I can imagine the media officer at Chelsea asked ‘do you want to do this?’ and he’s probably said, ‘yeah’. I’d have never done it, no.
“Because these things seem to work against you. It wouldn’t surprise me now if he came on and missed a sitter and Arsenal go and win, and you think, why did you have to do that?
“The respect he should have for Arsenal, yes he fell out with Arteta, but the fans loved Aubameyang. So I think it’s a silly thing to do and he could regret that.”