Revealed: Why Mikel Arteta may be hesitant to strip Aubameyang of Arsenal captaincy
A fresh insight into the recent controversy surrounding Arsenal star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has, on Monday evening, been provided.
Auba concern
The name of Gabonese hitman Aubameyang has of course taken its place centre stage in the headlines over the last couple of days.
This comes on the back of the former Borussia Dortmund man’s complete omission from Arsenal’s squad to take on Southampton.
The Gunners returned to Premier League action on Saturday afternoon, eventually putting Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Saints to the sword in comprehensive fashion, by three goals to nil.
This team goal 🤩
It starts with Ramsdale and ends with Lacazette smashing it home. Arsenal lead 2-0 against Southampton..
📺 Stream #ARSSOU live: https://t.co/0BMWdeEYT3 pic.twitter.com/CbzDxFpC2o
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) December 11, 2021
The club’s skipper, however, was forced to watch on from home as his teammates got the job done.
This came owing to a ‘disciplinary breach‘, confirmed mid-match to have come in the form of a late return from a trip away from north London last week:
🚨 EXCL: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang dropped from Arsenal squad for late return from trip abroad last week. 32yo had permission to go for personal reasons but was back later than agreed & it had Covid protocol implications. W/ @gunnerblog @TheAthleticUK #AFC https://t.co/im7yEtRK7X
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) December 11, 2021
Arteta hesitant?
Aubameyang’s latest infraction comes amid a torrid stretch of form on the part of the hitman, two factors which have culminated in mounting calls for him to be stripped of the Arsenal captaincy moving forward.
One individual to have advocated for such a change comes in the form of ex-Gunners skipper Martin Keown, who this weekend took aim at Auba for not being present when his teammates ‘need him the most’.
And, as outlined above, late on Monday evening, a fresh insight into the situation has been provided.
The news, however, will likely not be received all too well on the part of those eager for a change in leadership in the dressing room at the Emirates.
Arsenal’s Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2nd L) has an unsuccessful shot during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on December 2, 2021. (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
As per a report from Sami Mokbel of The Daily Mail, Aubameyang’s latest disciplinary breach has only served to compound concerns surrounding his suitability as Arsenal captain:
Sportsmail has learned the controversy has amplified pre-existing reservations from figures inside the club’s training ground about Aubameyang’s position as skipper.
It is even suggested that some members of the playing squad in north London have expressed doubts over their captain’s credentials.
However, significantly, an insight into the reasons behind Mikel Arteta’s likely hesitance to actually strip Auba of his armband has too been forthcoming.
It is understood that any such move would bring about ‘major disruption within the squad’, owing to the 32-year-old’s widespread influence.
Amid such a delicate stretch of the campaign, boss Arteta may therefore well view it as unwise to rock the boat, fearful of a potential backlash amongst his ranks.
REVEALED: Aubameyang’s latest disciplinary breach has compounded concerns from staff and some team-mates over his suitability as Arsenal captain | @SamiMokbel81_DM https://t.co/Oi4Wswy36h
— MailOnline Sport (@MailSport) December 13, 2021
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Premier League table
| # | Team | MP | D | P |
| 1 | Manchester City | 16 | 24 | 38 |
| 2 | Liverpool FC | 16 | 33 | 37 |
| 3 | Chelsea FC | 16 | 27 | 36 |
| 4 | West Ham United | 16 | 9 | 28 |
| 5 | Manchester United | 16 | 2 | 27 |
| 6 | Arsenal FC | 16 | -1 | 26 |
| 7 | Tottenham Hotspur | 14 | -1 | 25 |
| 8 | Leicester City | 16 | 0 | 22 |
| 9 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 16 | -2 | 21 |
| 10 | Brentford FC | 16 | -1 | 20 |
| 11 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 15 | -2 | 20 |
| 12 | Crystal Palace | 16 | 0 | 19 |
| 13 | Aston Villa | 16 | -4 | 19 |
| 14 | Everton FC | 16 | -8 | 18 |
| 15 | Leeds United | 16 | -8 | 16 |
| 16 | Southampton FC | 16 | -10 | 16 |
| 17 | Watford FC | 16 | -10 | 13 |
| 18 | Burnley FC | 15 | -7 | 11 |
| 19 | Newcastle United | 16 | -17 | 10 |
| 20 | Norwich City | 16 | -24 | 10 |
| Player | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 14 |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City | 9 |
| Jota, Diogo | Liverpool FC | 8 |
| Dennis, Emmanuel | Watford FC | 7 |
| Ronaldo, Cristiano | Manchester United | 7 |
| Mane, Sadio | Liverpool FC | 7 |
| Silva, Bernardo | Manchester City | 7 |
| Raphinha | Leeds United | 7 |
| Mount, Mason | Chelsea FC | 6 |
| Antonio, Michail | West Ham United | 6 |
| Gallagher, Conor | Crystal Palace | 6 |
| Son, Heung Min | Tottenham Hotspur | 6 |
| Wilson, Callum | Newcastle United | 6 |
| Maupay, Neal | Brighton & Hove Albion | 6 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 5 |
| King, Joshua | Watford FC | 5 |
| Gray, Demarai | Everton FC | 5 |
| Smith-Rowe, Emile | Arsenal FC | 5 |
| Pukki, Teemu | Norwich City | 5 |
| Cornet, Maxwel | Burnley FC | 5 |
| Player | Team | Red Cards | Yellow Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dennis, Emmanuel | Watford FC | 0 | 6 |
| Laporte, Aymeric | Manchester City | 1 | 5 |
| Neves, Ruben | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 0 | 6 |
| James, Reece | Chelsea FC | 1 | 4 |
| Pogba, Paul | Manchester United | 1 | 4 |
| Canos, Sergi | Brentford FC | 0 | 5 |
| Richarlison | Everton FC | 0 | 5 |
| Ritchie, Matt | Newcastle United | 0 | 5 |
| Westwood, Ashley | Burnley FC | 0 | 5 |
| Cancelo, Joao | Manchester City | 0 | 5 |
| Tarkowski, James | Burnley FC | 0 | 5 |
| Duffy, Shane | Brighton & Hove Albion | 0 | 5 |
| Lascelles, Jamaal | Newcastle United | 0 | 5 |
| Ward, Joel | Crystal Palace | 0 | 5 |
| Romeu, Oriol | Southampton FC | 0 | 5 |
| Skipp, Oliver | Tottenham Hotspur | 0 | 5 |
| Salisu, Mohammed | Southampton FC | 0 | 5 |
| Antonio, Michail | West Ham United | 0 | 3 |
| Gallagher, Conor | Crystal Palace | 0 | 4 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 0 | 4 |
| Player | Team | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 8 |
| Alexander-Arnold, Trent | Liverpool FC | 7 |
| Pogba, Paul | Manchester United | 7 |
| Jesus, Gabriel | Manchester City | 6 |
| Dennis, Emmanuel | Watford FC | 5 |
| Kovacic, Mateo | Chelsea FC | 5 |
| Mount, Mason | Chelsea FC | 4 |
| James, Reece | Chelsea FC | 4 |
| Bowen, Jarrod | West Ham United | 4 |
| Doucoure, Abdoulaye | Everton FC | 4 |
| Redmond, Nathan | Southampton FC | 4 |
| Robertson, Andy | Liverpool FC | 4 |
| Antonio, Michail | West Ham United | 3 |
| Gallagher, Conor | Crystal Palace | 3 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 3 |
| Maddison, James | Leicester City | 3 |
| Saint-Maximin, Allan | Newcastle United | 3 |
| Benrahma, Said | West Ham United | 3 |
| Henderson, Jordan | Liverpool FC | 3 |
| Canos, Sergi | Brentford FC | 3 |
