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.
