Aubameyang joins Ibrahimovic in scoring through LaLiga's first five matchdays

Late in the match, the scoreboard unfavorable, Riazor gritting its teeth. And there he was again. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang struck the equalizer against Getafe (1-1) and, in doing so, joined a very exclusive club: he's the first player to score in LaLiga's first five matchdays since Zlatan Ibrahimovic did it with Barcelona back in the 2009-10 season.

This isn't just any stat. Only ten players in the history of the competition had ever put together such a consistent scoring start, and the Gabonese forward, who just turned 37, has now joined that list. Before Sunday's goal, he'd already found the net against Elche, Malaga, Valencia and Villarreal. Five matchdays, five goals: the math doesn't lie.

Deportivo, freshly promoted, remain unbeaten in LaLiga, and a big part of that start has a name attached to it. Aubameyang has had a hand in seven of the nine goals the team has scored this season, whether by scoring them himself or setting them up. For a club returning to the top flight with understandable caution, having a striker of that pedigree deciding games is, quite simply, a massive competitive edge.

Captain Ximo Navarro didn't hide his admiration in the mixed zone:

Aubameyang is a world class star. Everyone knows what kind of player he is. He's in incredible form right now. We're doing everything we can to help him score goals and make the most of this run he's on. Hopefully he scores every single matchday. I'm really happy he signed with us, he's a top level player and he brings so much to the team.Ximo Navarro

Coach Antonio Hidalgo echoed those sentiments, though he zeroed in on something that doesn't show up in the stat sheet: the striker's defensive effort near the very end of the match.

Watching Aubameyang play is a treat. We're not discovering his talent now. In the 92nd minute he made a spectacular defensive run, which says a lot about his commitment and humility. He's an example for all of us, and we're going to keep pushing him to maintain this level. He has an exceptional physique and incredible talent. I'm really happy for him.Antonio Hidalgo

For a striker with his résumé, someone who's played for Arsenal and Chelsea, still tracking back past the 90th minute says a lot about where he's at personally right now. Aubameyang returned to LaLiga this summer following that brief loan spell at Barcelona in 2022, and everything suggests he arrived at Riazor fully locked in.

He summed up the match in his own way, no frills, on Instagram: "Tough match, but we keep picking up points... Let's go, team!"

With this draw, Deportivo sit in sixth place in the standings, a more than solid start for a newly promoted side. The next test comes quickly: this Wednesday they host Sevilla at Riazor, with hopes that Aubameyang can keep extending a streak that, so far, only a certain Ibrahimovic had managed before him.