Is it over for Aubameyang at Arsenal?

Fortunately for Arsenal they won against Southampton because failure to secure three points amid the already documentary-worthy drama would have sparked a media circus.

The decision to publicly announce Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s non-involvement from the matchday squad being due to a disciplinary breach was another marker laid down by Mikel Arteta.

Arriving at training on time having taken a plane home from France on Thursday morning as opposed to Wednesday may seem like only a minor infraction. It was agreed to be Wednesday, but he still made it to training without any issue and the COVID protocol rules might not have been fully explained to him meaning he couldn’t train.

But it’s the aggregate. The accumulation of misdemeanours that prompted Arteta to feel it necessary to tap his foot again and point to the sign reading ‘non-negotiables’.

https://twitter.com/David_Ornstein/status/1470308809008631810

Is it over for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at Arsenal after Mikel Arteta disciplines the Gunners’ captain publicly against Southampton?

As revealed in depth by The Athletic, within the Arsenal camp there are some who feel Arteta made the right call, and those who felt this could have been dealt with internally. For the most part, supporters find themselves in a similar disposition.

However, it’s hard to see any party being totally exempt from blame, whatever one’s stance on the matter.

It’s an unsavoury mess. At this point in the season with the goalscoring issues that remain in the team, the timing is tremendously unwelcome.

Form is important, too, in determining whether or not he will have any longer term future in the team: Aubameyang has just four goals in 15 Premier League outings this term, following on from ten in the previous season. His performances have seen a huge uptick in work rate off the ball and leadership by example, but he isn’t scoring and, importantly, doesn’t look like scoring.

That’s twice now that Arteta has left the captain out of his team for disciplinary reasons and on both occasions Arsenal have won. There will be a feeling of vindication for the manager. Against Southampton, after a rocky start, the team produced some of their finest attacking football all season.

This was a Saints team that downed tools and crumbled, but nevertheless such spells of fluid forward play haven’t been on display with Aubameyang.

Insisting that the captain’s disciplining ‘started’ against the Saints hints that this could extend through to the visit of West Ham on Wednesday; a massive match in the Gunners’ season. Alexandre Lacazette will feel he is worthy of another start, as too will Gabriel Martinelli who was excellent last time out.

Then there is Arteta’s favourite pupil, Eddie Nketiah, who will be chasing his own involvement having started to make matchday squads after his early season omissions.

But Aubameyang is the captain. And while the importance of that is more symbolic than anything with generally little to no bearing on the team and performance, continuing to leave him out of the picture incites a tension that does not benefit a young team aiming to return to Europe this season. But then, doesn’t he deserve it?

His re-integration period has only three league games to go before he jets off to AFCON with Gabon, and word is that he is no longer seen as a certified starter in the manager’s eyes. As a confidence player, one who needs an arm around the shoulder, if there is to be any value extracted from the highest earner and supposed leader of the club then he will have to play.

A happy Aubameyang is an Aubameyang you want around the training ground. Nicolas Pepe already cuts a despondent figure. Another one isn’t preferable.

Arteta finds himself in something of an emotional stand-off. Making decisions for the greater good and not the individual, Aubameyang has ground to make up in convincing his manager and teammates that his intentions remain to steer the vessel and not seek a life raft.