Wakanda Forever. Arsenal striker Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang opened the scoring today in the 2020 Community Shield against Liverpool, but it’s his celebration afterward that most people will remember about the very first goal scored in the 20/21 Premier League season.
Aubameyang crossed his arms on his chest, which is the trademark pose of Marvel superhero Black Panther, the film role most synonymous with late actor Chadwick Boseman.
On day after Chadwick Boseman's tragic passing, fitting first goal of English Men's Season scored by Aubameyang, the Arsenal goal machine who once celebrated a brace by donning a Black Panther mask. Today’s Wakanda Forever celebration a poignant tribute ?pic.twitter.com/LbIhbsjXy4
— roger bennett (@rogbennett) August 29, 2020
Boseman, who was just 43, passed away Friday after a long bout with colon cancer. While Black Panther is the movie for which he will always be primarily known, he also portrayed a few important historical figures on the silver screen, including:
Civil Rights icon and baseball star Jackie Robinson, the Godfather of Soul James Brown and former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Thurgood Marshall.
Aubameyang, who previously wore a Black Panther mask after scoring a brace in a 2018/19 Europa League round-of-16 match, scored just 12 minutes in. He now has five goals in his last three games at Wembley Stadium.
Aubameyang at Wembley: 6 Games???? 5 Goals?? (All in his last 3 games) 1 Penalty shootout winner? 1 Classy tribute to a Classy late actor with his goal Celebration today (Chadwick Boseman aka Black Panther)? Wakanda Forever!???
Best striker in EPL. pic.twitter.com/KmSIBXbW27— Athousand Brains ? ?? (@AthousandBrains) August 29, 2020
By the way, Arsenal won the Community Shield 5-4 in a penalty shootout. The match ended in a 1-1 draw, thus requiring the need to go to penalties. However, a classy striker paying homage to a very classy film actor, who was tragically taken too soon, was the most memorable aspect of the 20/21 trophy game curtain raiser.
Arsenal will open the Premier League season on Saturday Sept 12 against Fulham. Liverpool open the same day, against Leeds United.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly contributes to WGN TV, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Now and SB Nation.
You can follow Banks, a former writer for Chicago Tribune.com, on Twitter and his cat on Instagram.