ARSENAL STRIKER, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been stripped of the Arsenal captaincy by his manager Mikel Arteta after his "latest disciplinary breach".
The forward was left out of the squad for Arsenal's Saturday's 3-0 Premier League win over Southampton and won't make the team for West Ham either.
An Arsenal statement released said;
"We expect all our players, particularly our captain, to work to the rules and standards we have all set and agreed,"
Aubameyang back in March was also dropped for disciplinary reasons.
He missed the win over rivals Tottenham for a "breach of pre-match protocol".
🚨 BREAKING 🚨
Following his latest disciplinary breach last week, Arsenal have confirmed that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will no longer be club captain.
He will not be considered for selection for Wednesday's match against West Ham United pic.twitter.com/vJ2BXVovT1— Football Daily (@footballdaily) December 14, 2021
The Athletic reported that he returned late from an authorized trip abroad despite Mikel Arteta not stating this.
"We have been very consistent, that we have certain non-negotiables in the team that we have set ourselves as a club," said Arteta after the Southampton match.
"Whatever happens in the dressing room, I cannot share. From my side, I will never say what the breach was."
The Arsenal boss also was asked about the incident today and said;
'I think it's a clear statement from the club,' Arteta said. 'It's a decision we have made after the last incident we had with the player. This is where we stand.
``We have made this decision which is a tough one. I wouldn't like to be sitting here talking about it. For now, he's not involved in the squad.
'It's been a lot to digest. It's a difficult decision to make, it will take a bit of time.
We made this because we are hurting. It needs time to heal and he's not involved. Since I've been here, the relationship has been really good. That's why it's painful.'
"When those standards are not met, you know you can not participate in our daily basics."
Mikel Arteta comments on the decision to strip Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of #AFC captaincy 🔊 pic.twitter.com/2Mo2lLs0Rq— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) December 14, 2021
In November 2019 Aubameyang took over as captain after then boss Unai Emery took it from midfielder Granit Xhaka.
Aubameyang, 32 joined in a £56m from Borussia Dortmund deal in 2018. He signed a new three-year contract last year.
He has scored only four goals in 14 league games this season and has none since 22 October.
Arsenal are 12 points behind leaders Manchester City and lie sixth in the table.
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