Arteta reacts to stripping Aubameyang of Arsenal captaincy
Arsenal host West Ham United on Wednesday night in a key fixture among the race for European spots. The Hammers head into the game in fourth, with the Gunners just two places and two points behind – but with Mikel Arteta’s team also hit by off-field distractions this week, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang stripped of the captaincy and excluded from the squad after a disciplinary breach.
The boss must now appoint a new skipper and he’s clear about the traits that person needs, and where Aubameyang fell short. “We believe that he has failed to be committed at the level that we all expect and agreed, as simple as that,” Arteta said. “What I expect from any person in this football club is passion and that he gives absolutely 100 per cent, that he puts the club in front of any personal interests and is able to do anything to fulfil the badge we have on the chest.”
For the Hammers, it’s a chance to open up a gap down to Manchester United in fifth, but Arsenal can go fourth with a win of their own. Follow all the team news and live updates from Arsenal vs West Ham below:
Arsenal vs West Ham: Wednesday night joy for Arsenal
Arsenal have lost just two of their 36 Premier League home matches played on a Wednesday but one of those defeats was against West Ham in February 2006.
The Gunners have lost two of their four Premier League London derbies this season – with one win and one draw – having been defeated in just one London derby in total last season.
Michael Jones15 December 2021 19:22
Arsenal vs West Ham: Highs for the Hammers
West Ham have recorded one win in five Premier League fixtures following a run of four straight victories. However, they have equalled their highest points tally of 28 after 16 matches of a Premier League season.
(Getty Images)
Michael Jones15 December 2021 19:18
Arsenal vs West Ham: Gunners strong at Emirates
Arsenal are undefeated in seven home league matches, winning the last four in a row. They have never won five in a row at the Emirates under manager Mikel Arteta.
If they keep a clean sheet tonight the Gunners would win four successive league games at the Emirates without conceding for the first time since May 2017. The fourth victory in that sequence came against David Moyes’ Sunderland.
Michael Jones15 December 2021 19:13
Arsenal vs West Ham: Thierry Henry claims ‘something is not right’ over Mikel Arteta treatment of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
With the visitors needing a goal to level things up at Old Trafford on Thursday night, the Gabon international was taken off by Arteta in the 79th minute and replaced by Alexandre Lacazette.
And Henry, who was on punditry duties at the game, could not make sense of the decision during his post-match analysis.
Michael Jones15 December 2021 19:10
Arsenal vs West Ham: Team changes
Mikel Arteta names an unchanged team to the one that started against Southampton at the weekend. Gabriel Martinelli and Alexandre Lacazette lead the line with Emile Smith Rowe starting on the bench.
David Moyes meanwhile makes just one change to the West Ham starting XI. Pablo Fornals returns as Said Benrahma drops to the bench.
Michael Jones15 December 2021 19:05
Arsenal vs West Ham: Line-ups
Arsenal XI: Ramsdale, Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney, Partey, Xhaka, Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli, Lacazette
West Ham XI: Fabianski, Coufal, Dawson, Diop, Masuaku, Rice, Soucek, Fornals, Lanzini, Bowen, Antonio
Michael Jones15 December 2021 19:01
Arsenal vs West Ham: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is fighting a losing battle with Mikel Arteta
After all, there has always been something of a doomed cycle between Arteta and Aubameyang: a friction that grates during periods of bad form and culminates in one of Arteta’s schoolmasterish citations. It played out to a familiar tune in March, when Aubameyang was dropped for the North London derby, and it kept to much the same rhythm this weekend as Arsenal coasted past Southampton.
Michael Jones15 December 2021 18:55
Arsenal vs West Ham: Aubameyang stripped of captaincy
Mikel Arteta says he stripped Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of the Arsenal captaincy to ‘defend the interests’ of the club. The Gunners released a statement earlier this week announcing that Aubameyang, 32, had been removed as captain following his latest disciplinary breach.
The statement also said Aubameyang will not be considered for Wednesday’s game against West Ham.
“We have made this decision that unfortunately is a really tough one,” said Arteta. “If I had to choose I wouldn’t like to be sitting here talking about it, but we had to do it.
“When we have to make that decision, it’s because it’s the right one to defend the interests of the football club.”
Michael Jones15 December 2021 18:50
Arsenal vs West Ham: Head-to-head
Arsenal have won 10 of their last 11 home league games against West Ham and the Hammers have triumphed in just two of the last 28 meetings in all competitions.
West Ham’s tally of 32 Premier League defeats in this fixture is a club record against a single opponent.
Michael Jones15 December 2021 18:46
Arsenal vs West Ham: Recent results
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal have hit a stumbling block after a run of eight Premier League fixtures without defeat. Since their 4-0 loss to Liverpool on 20th November they have won two and lost two of their four league matches. Last time out they comfortably defeated Southampton 3-0 at the Emirates and Mikel Arteta will be hoping for a repeat performance from his players tonight. If they win the Gunners will move ahead of West Ham and claim a spot in the top four.
West Ham have also lost a bit of their early momentum in recent weeks. Back-to-back defeats – to Wolves and Manchester City – were followed with a 1-1 draw at home to Brighton. they got back to winning ways with a great 3-2 victory over Chelsea at the start of December but last time out were held to a 0-0 draw against Burnley. David Moyes will be hoping to pick up all three points this evening against a top four rival and show just how far his team has come this season.
Michael Jones15 December 2021 18:43
Kaynak: briturkish.com
