Fans were baffled on Sunday, March 14, when Arsenal captain Pierre Emerick Aubameyang was left on the bench for the North London derby.
Aubameyang was an unused substitute as Arsenal ran out 2-1 winners in a hotly contested clash.
It was eventually revealed that the reason the Gabon international was on the bench was due to disciplinary issues.
Speaking on his main striker’s absence, Arteta said, “We have a way of living together, we have to respect each other and that’s it, but he is an incredible guy.
“He’s one of the most important players in the team, he’s our captain, but these things happen. We move forward and we enjoy the victory tonight.
“We have a lot of things going on in our lives, people are finding it difficult to handle a lot of the restrictions and it’s part of our job.”
In the wake of his substitution, one substitute took to Twitter claiming he had spotted Aubameyang’s car in traffic at around 12:04pm in Muswell Hill.
If anyone is wondering why Aubameyang was disciplined for being late for the match today, this is him stuck in traffic at 12.04 in Muswell Hill! #ARSTOT pic.twitter.com/T3TlF1SX8f
— Peter King (@iampeterking) March 14, 2021
Aubameyang also broke his silence with a delightful message after being left out of the squad.
Instead of mopping about being snubbed, the 31-year old instead celebrated his team for the win in a fierce derby.
“North London is Red and that’s it!!!,” he wrote on Instagram.
