Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: From Thriller To Bad, Should He Just Beat It?

[<<reed>>]

Arsenal captain Aubameyang dropped for Tottenham game due to lateness

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta dropped club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang because he reported late for the north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, it can be revealed. The Athletic understands this is not the first time that Aubameyang has reported late this season, with Arteta...

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Spoiler: Arsenal captain Aubameyang dropped

Arsenal captain Aubameyang dropped by Arteta for lateness​

By David Ornstein and James McNicholas

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta dropped club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang because he reported late for the north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, it can be revealed.

The Athletic understands this is not the first time that Aubameyang has reported late this season, with Arteta deciding to drop him to the bench as a punishment.

Arteta said before the match that Aubameyang, 31, had been dropped due to ‘disciplinary reasons’, with Alexandre Lacazette selected to lead the line in his absence.

Arsenal impressed despite Aubameyang’s absence, fighting back to beat their bitter rivals 2-1 at The Emirates.

Why was Aubameyang dropped?​

The Athletic understands that Aubameyang reported late for the north London derby at The Emirates.

This is not the first time that the Arsenal captain has reported late, with Arteta deciding to drop him to the bench for Sunday’s game.

Aubameyang was disciplined earlier in the season for missing a COVID-19 test before a European trip, as previously reported by The Athletic, while in February he was “reminded of his responsibilities” by the club for breaching COVID-19 regulations to get a tattoo.

After the match Aubameyang did not join Arsenal’s other unused substitutes in completing a warm-down routine.

What did Arteta say?​

Ahead of the match Arteta confirmed that Aubameyang had been dropped to the bench as a punishment, but did not say why he had disciplined his club captain.

“He was going to start the game but we had a disciplinary issue,” Arteta told Sky Sports.

“We have drawn the line and we move on. We keep it internal.”

When pressed on whether the disciplinary breach had come as a blow, Arteta replied: “We have other players who are willing.”

Arteta reaffirmed his stance after the match, stating: “We dealt with the situation on the day and now we move on.

“He's going to continue to be really important. That's it, no more comments on that.”

You gotta love how fast Micky leaked the real reason for dropping Auba to his pals from the Athletic, no wonder they love him so much

 

[Batman]

If there's a change in captaincy the 2 most logical choices are Tierney or if Arteta really has some balls, Saka. The only reason I wouldn't give it to Saka is that it's a lot to put on a kid that young and he's already been tasked with carrying us all season but those 2 are the only ones I could see with the professionalism and emotional maturity as well as a future here.

 

[Arsenal1508]

If there's a change in captaincy the 2 most logical choices are Tierney or if Arteta really has some balls, Saka. The only reason I wouldn't give it to Saka is that it's a lot to put on a kid that young and he's already been tasked with carrying us all season but those 2 are the only ones I could see with the professionalism and emotional maturity as well as a future here.

Neither Tierney nor Saka are ready to be captains. Tierney needs to prove he can stay fit first - you need your captain on the pitch.

Saka - too young, but he does have the courage.

 

[GoonerJeeves]

I think it is best to leave the captaincy as it is. Long term it might be a different story though. I think Tierney needs more time in the league and at the club. It would be madness to put the weight of captaincy on a young and emerging player like Saka. They need to concentrate on their own development.

 

[Gooner416]

You gotta love how fast Micky leaked the real reason for dropping Auba to his pals from the Athletic, no wonder they love him so much

“We keep it internal” but then he broadcasts it to his journo buddies who used to compare him to Xabi Alonso when he played.

 

[boonthegoon]

Captain after a nld win. Sigh.

Can anyone with a sub do the honors please?

 

[TornadoTed]

Neither Tierney nor Saka are ready to be captains. Tierney needs to prove he can stay fit first - you need your captain on the pitch.

Saka - too young, but he does have the courage.

Mythbusters time again, I'm going to keep repeating this until people stop saying Tierney is injury prone.

Tierney has the joint 2nd most appearances of any outfield player this season.

 

[Taneruit]

FFS Auba.

Our captaincy is cursed. Every time. EVERY TIME.
I honestly have no idea what to do with it. Our leaders (Xhaka, Luiz, Tierney, Leno) will lead without the armband and I don't want to put it on Tierney in fear of **** like this happening.

Can we play without it?

 

[Santi's Left Foot]

Bit of a different one but I would make Gabby vice/captain, who else.

 

[Hunta]

Another Özil.

£300k for 9 league goals.

 

[Iceman10]

The best case scenario out of this is after blowing off some steam (wounded pride) Auba puts out a message to fans and teammates on social media, today or tomorrow. If he can do that everyone can move on and get on with the rest of he season.

 

[say yes]

Captain after a nld win. Sigh.

Can anyone with a sub do the honors please?

Spoiler

You could hear it from pitchside. As Mikel Arteta and Jose Mourinho conducted their post-match interviews, dissecting Arsenal’s 2-1 derby win, the sound of a Ferrari engine echoed around the Emirates Stadium arena. It was 6.46pm, just 23 minutes after the full-time whistle had blown to confirm Arsenal’s victory. Last one in, but first one out, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was leaving.

On the pitch, Arsenal’s head fitness coach Shad Forsythe was taking the rest of the unused substitutes through their warm-down. As the likes of Hector Bellerin, Rob Holding and Pablo Mari took part in sprints and drills, the club captain was conspicuous by his absence.

Aubameyang, who was originally in Arteta’s starting XI for this game, had been left out after arriving late, thus breaking team protocol. It was not his first offence of that nature this season. Earlier this season he was disciplined for missing a COVID-19 test before a European trip, as previously reported by The Athletic, while in February he was “reminded of his responsibilities” by the club for breaching COVID-19 regulations to get a tattoo. As captain, Arteta believes it’s imperative Aubameyang sets a positive example. He couldn’t grant him further leeway.

Aubameyang (top) sits in the stands during the match (Photo: Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
In front of the cameras, Arteta presented the issue as resolved. “We draw a line there,” he said. “Now let’s move on again. We know how important Auba is for us, for the club. That’s it. That’s been dealt with so let’s move on.” It’s unclear at this stage if Arteta was aware Aubameyang had skipped the warm-down, or whether the player was granted permission to leave. Asked if Aubameyang had accepted his punishment, Arteta simply said: “I hope he did, yeah.”

Outside the Emirates, Aubameyang did not stop to engage with the huddle of supporters that had come to salute this derby win, speeding away into the night. One imagines he was in no mood to celebrate. Aubameyang is an ebullient personality. He loves to be revel in victories, to be in the thick of the revelry. Above all, he loves playing and scoring goals. Being absent for a landmark victory such as this will have stung. Arteta will hope this is a case of a painful lesson learned.

This was a good day for the Arsenal manager. When you take a strong stance such as this, the result ultimately determines how it will be received. Had Arsenal failed to beat Tottenham today, Arteta’s decision to omit his top goalscorer would most likely have attracted substantial criticism. Having secured the three points and associated bragging rights, it will be interpreted as strong management. Alexandre Lacazette, who started at centre-forward, won and scored the crucial penalty. If Aubameyang was in line to start on the left, he surely could not have performed better than Emile Smith Rowe, who was in outstanding form, creating four goalscoring opportunities and passing with a completion rate of 97 per cent.

Aubameyang with his holographic chrome-wrapped Ferrari (Picture: Instagram – Pierre-Emerick Aubamayang)
Due to COVID-19 protocols, Arsenal’s players are responsible for making their own way to the Emirates Stadium. On Sunday, The Athletic spotted Aubameyang driving south-easterly, through the north London neighbourhood of Muswell Hill, towards the Emirates Stadium. It’d be hard to miss him: a holographic chrome-wrapped Ferrari, complete with personalised number plate, tends to stick out in suburbia. As the traffic crawled forward, the clock ticked on. In the area approaching the stadium, Islington council has recently introduced a number of new road closures to turn Highbury into a “low traffic neighbourhood” — not ideal for a footballer having to hurriedly navigate his way through the north London streets. After missing the scheduled meeting time, Aubameyang was informed he would begin on the bench. Ultimately, he finished the game there too. Aubameyang was sent out to warm-up more than once in the second half, but was never used. While other unused players went out on to the pitch to celebrate, Aubameyang was one of the first down the tunnel.

It would be surprising if there were any long-term ramifications for Arteta and Aubameyang’s relationship. The Spaniard has been effusive in his praise of Aubameyang since taking charge in December 2019. He retained him as captain, and played a crucial role in convincing him to sign a new three-year contract last summer. Stories of unprofessional conduct at Borussia Dortmund have been dismissed by Sven Mislintat, who worked with him in Germany and in London. “For me, without any doubt, he is one of the best professionals I ever worked with,” he told The Athletic in 2019. “He is a hard worker, a great athlete. He is always smiling. He takes care of the young lads. He is a quiet leader but he really is a leader.”

Aubameyang’s Instagram post after the match (Picture: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang)
Aubameyang remains a popular and respected figure at Arsenal, but Arteta has a clear code of conduct and is unwilling to make exceptions. Arteta insists upon the “non-negotiables” — the standards his squad are expected to share and abide by. As mental and physical fatigue sets in at the end of this exhausting season, he is determined not to see those slip.

Staff at Arsenal have spoken of a need to change the culture at the club. A hard line may be necessary to achieve that. The decision won favour with one former Arsenal legend. “It’s the right call for me,” Lee Dixon said during commentary for NBC. “It’s not about this game, it’s about the bigger picture … You can’t have that in a football club, you have to have discipline. (Aubameyang) has to be the same as everybody else.”

Arteta’s management style is one that depends on both affability and authority, and he is unwilling to sacrifice one to preserve the other. It’s an approach that has attracted both criticism and applause. Ultimately, the success of his cultural revolution will be determined by results. In that respect, this was a very good day for Arsenal.

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

I don't care if he angry or not what mikel did is right I'm fed up with this soft culture at football club you pro 300k a week just follow the team rules ffs it's not really that difficult.

 

[Riou]

Arteta handled this very bravely and got the result, have to give him massive credit, considering the game we were playing and Auba's stature too.

If I am honest though, I am glad Auba is pissed...I don't want our main forward and captain to be happy he was dropped for a derby, shows he cares in a way...what's key now for Pierre is how he reacts when he goes into training after the cooling off for a bit.

If he gives up after this and goes into retirement mode like Özil, it will be a shame...but if he can channel the anger correctly, then he could be key to winnng the Europa.

Let's see.

 

[pikey2000]

I think Arteta called it right, regardless of whether or not we got the result, fact is that right now nobody in this squad is elite, everyone is replaceable, they all need to realise that, if they don't want to follow the code of conduct then jog on and we can find a similar replacement, its one of the upsides of having no world class players anymore.

We are in a period where we can be ruthless to some extent, get rid of anyone who doesn't want to tow the line, give full commitment or want to be here, as it will not be difficult for us to find something similar in the market - the only thing we need to avoid is losing people for free, anyone else can go for a fee so that a replacement can be funded.

Saying all of that, I hope when Auba's pride has stopped hurting it proves to be the kick up the arse he needed and he stays, but he is by no means irreplaceable in my opinion.

 

[HollandGooner]

Arteta is right nobody is bigger then the rules, and as a captain you need to take responsibility.

 

[hydrofluoric acid]

Embarrassing from Auba.

 

[Macho]

Aubameyang was in line to start on the left, he surely could not have performed better than Emile Smith Rowe, who was in outstanding form, creating four goalscoring opportunities and passing with a completion rate of 97 per cent.

Lol brutal.

The following season and the last year of his contract will be interesting.

 

[KrissKringle]

If there's a change in captaincy the 2 most logical choices are Tierney or if Arteta really has some balls, Saka.

Saka as captain.

 

[Macho]

Saka as captain.

Making our "best" player captain is where we've gone wrong at times tbh. They should be free to look after themselves unless it comes naturally.

Also helps if they are not frontline, as attacking positions are notoriously up and down form wise. Its rare to be perfect all season long and the coach needs to be free to pick who's in the best form without additional politics.

Tierney and Rob are good candidates for the future, a bit young for me though.