Published: December 5, 2021 6:27 pm
Last Updated: December 5, 2021 11:23 pm
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has responded to talk of a potential rift between himself and Gunners captain, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang struggling for form
Aubameyang is once again in the midst of a fairly poor patch of form.
The striker enjoyed a purple patch between gameweek four and gameweek nine of the Premier League season, which saw him score four and assist one.
However, since then, Aubameyang has not registered a single goal or assist in the league.
The 32-year-old’s latest appearance saw him taken off when Arsenal were 3-2 down against Manchester United and in need of a goal – a move that certainly appeared to hint that Arteta had little faith in his captain’s chances of rescuing a point for the north Londoners on the day.
Elsewhere, as per the Daily Mail, Arteta’s decision to haul Auba off ‘prompted comments from pundits Alan Shearer and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry that there must be a problem between the pair and the player had been humiliated’.
Arteta speaks out on talk of problem with Arsenal captain Aubameyang
In turn, ahead of his side’s meeting with Everton, Arteta has now spoken out on suggestions of a rift between himself and his captain.
The Spaniard, however, seemed keen to shut such talk down, stating:
“I can guarantee you that there is not a rift. You have to respect their opinion (Henry and Shearer’s) but what I can tell you is I have the relationship I want with him.
“When I make decisions with 15, 20, 30 minutes left, or in the line-up at the start, it is done with one intention and that is to get the best out of the team.”
Quotes via the Daily Mail.
With Man United looking back in form under new management, Arteta and co. will need Aubameyang to start firing on all cylinders once again very soon, if they are to stand any chance of securing that final Champions League spot this season.
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This article was edited by
Conor Laird.
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Premier League table
| # | Team | MP | D | P |
| 1 | Manchester City | 15 | 23 | 35 |
| 2 | Liverpool FC | 15 | 32 | 34 |
| 3 | Chelsea FC | 15 | 26 | 33 |
| 4 | West Ham United | 15 | 9 | 27 |
| 5 | Arsenal FC | 14 | -3 | 23 |
| 6 | Tottenham Hotspur | 13 | -4 | 22 |
| 7 | Manchester United | 14 | 21 | |
| 8 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 15 | -1 | 21 |
| 9 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 15 | -2 | 20 |
| 10 | Leicester City | 14 | -3 | 19 |
| 11 | Crystal Palace | 14 | -1 | 16 |
| 12 | Brentford FC | 14 | -2 | 16 |
| 13 | Aston Villa | 14 | -4 | 16 |
| 14 | Southampton FC | 15 | -7 | 16 |
| 15 | Everton FC | 14 | -7 | 15 |
| 16 | Leeds United | 14 | -7 | 15 |
| 17 | Watford FC | 15 | -9 | 13 |
| 18 | Burnley FC | 14 | -7 | 10 |
| 19 | Newcastle United | 15 | -13 | 10 |
| 20 | Norwich City | 14 | -20 | 10 |
| Player | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 13 |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City | 9 |
| Jota, Diogo | Liverpool FC | 8 |
| Mane, Sadio | Liverpool FC | 7 |
| Silva, Bernardo | Manchester City | 7 |
| Dennis, Emmanuel | Watford FC | 6 |
| Antonio, Michail | West Ham United | 6 |
| Ronaldo, Cristiano | Manchester United | 6 |
| Son, Heung Min | Tottenham Hotspur | 6 |
| Raphinha | Leeds United | 6 |
| Wilson, Callum | Newcastle United | 6 |
| Maupay, Neal | Brighton & Hove Albion | 6 |
| Mount, Mason | Chelsea FC | 5 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 5 |
| King, Joshua | Watford FC | 5 |
| Smith-Rowe, Emile | Arsenal FC | 5 |
| Pukki, Teemu | Norwich City | 5 |
| Cornet, Maxwel | Burnley FC | 5 |
| Sarr, Ismaila | Watford FC | 5 |
| James, Reece | Chelsea FC | 4 |
| Player | Team | Red Cards | Yellow Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dennis, Emmanuel | Watford FC | 6 | |
| Laporte, Aymeric | Manchester City | 1 | 5 |
| Pogba, Paul | Manchester United | 1 | 4 |
| Canos, Sergi | Brentford FC | 5 | |
| Richarlison | Everton FC | 5 | |
| Ritchie, Matt | Newcastle United | 5 | |
| Westwood, Ashley | Burnley FC | 5 | |
| Tarkowski, James | Burnley FC | 5 | |
| Duffy, Shane | Brighton & Hove Albion | 5 | |
| Lascelles, Jamaal | Newcastle United | 5 | |
| Neves, Ruben | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 5 | |
| Ward, Joel | Crystal Palace | 5 | |
| Romeu, Oriol | Southampton FC | 5 | |
| Skipp, Oliver | Tottenham Hotspur | 5 | |
| Salisu, Mohammed | Southampton FC | 5 | |
| Antonio, Michail | West Ham United | 3 | |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 4 | |
| James, Reece | Chelsea FC | 1 | 3 |
| Raphinha | Leeds United | 4 | |
| Gallagher, Conor | Crystal Palace | 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 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 3 |
| Gallagher, Conor | Crystal Palace | 3 |
| Saint-Maximin, Allan | Newcastle United | 3 |
| Benrahma, Said | West Ham United | 3 |
| Henderson, Jordan | Liverpool FC | 3 |
| Canos, Sergi | Brentford FC | 3 |
| Lowton, Matthew | Burnley FC | 3 |