The Arsenal All or Nothing series is heating up in the latest collection of episodes. Amazon Prime have released a clip showing the dramatic moment where Mikel Arteta tells his players that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is no longer Arsenal captain.
Some fans may remember that Aubameyang was still at Arsenal, and club captain, during the last few months of 2021. However, this all fell apart in a matter of weeks.
Aubameyang lost the Arsenal captaincy after several disciplinary issues in December 2021. According to The Guardian, the Gabonese international turned up late to games and training numerous times. This led to Arteta dropping him for matches against Spurs, Southampton, and West Ham, too.
But these were not the first problems, either. In February 2021, Aubameyang also received warnings for flouting COVID-19 regulations so he could get a tattoo. Overall, the loss of the armband came as a result of multiple off-field issues.
The fallout from losing the captaincy ultimately spelt the end of Aubameyang’s stay in North London. What made this even worse for Arsenal was that the forward had signed a massive new contract just one year earlier.
Leaving Arsenal
At the end of the 2022 January transfer window, Aubameyang left the club by mutual consent. He then joined Barcelona, signing a three-year deal with the Catalan giants. In 163 appearances at Arsenal, Aubameyang had scored 92 goals and got 21 assists.
Facing the media following his move to Barca, Aubameyang was surprisingly open about his reason for leaving the Emirates. He did not hide his opinion when asked if the problem at Arsenal was with the club or just Arteta.
“I think it was only with him [Arteta], and then he took this decision,” said the forward, via The Guardian. “He wasn’t happy, and that’s it. I was calm.”
The rapport between player and manager clearly had reached a breaking point. Usually, disagreements like this go on behind the scenes, with the media drip-fed pieces of info. However, the All or Nothing documentary gives everyone the chance to see the drama.
Arsenal squad find out Aubameyang is no longer captain
Viewers are treated to an intense scene in the latest drop of All or Nothing episodes. The clip, which Amazon Prime shared on Twitter, shows Mikel Arteta addressing his squad. He tells the players some surprising, yet very important, news.
“Okay, I have to announce something,” he started. “Following the last disciplinary issue that we had with Auba [Aubameyang], and the consequences that I decided to take – not to involve him in the game – I thought carefully at what the next step was.
“And we have decided, as a club, that he [Aubameyang] is no longer our captain. So, you should know that. The other decision is that for now, he is not involved in the squad.”
This sneak preview really gives a fascinating insight into one of the most challenging parts of Arsenal’s season. Who knows? Maybe we even see the discussions between Arteta and Aubameyang too. That would be fun, for sure.
You can watch Episodes 1-6 of “All or Nothing: Arsenal” on Amazon Prime Video from today.
Featured Image Credit: Twitter/Amazon Prime Video Sport