Arteta has not discussed selling Aubameyang in January

Aubameyang
was
named
on
the
bench
for
the
Gunners’
2-1
defeat
at
Everton
on
Monday
(December
6),
and
only
came
on
late
in
the
game,
missing
a
good
chance
to
equalise
in
the
closing
seconds
at
Goodison
Park.

The
32-year-old,
who
signed
a
new
three-year
contract
at
the
Emirates
Stadium
in
September
last
year,
has
scored
just
four
times
and
assisted
once
in
14
appearances
in
the
Premier
League
this
season,
averaging
a
goal
every
259.75
minutes.

Aubameyang’s
goal
return
rate
has
been
decreasing
at
Arsenal
for
the
last
few
years,
averaging
a
goal
every
105.8
minutes
in
his
first
half
season
in
2017-18,
followed
by
a
goal
every
124.14
minutes
in
his
first
full
season,
then
one
every
142.64
minutes
in
2019-20,
and
every
233.6
minutes
last
season.

Aubameyang
situation
‘causing
a
problem
at
Arsenal’
–
Neville

However,
his
manager
vowed
to
support
the
former
Borussia
Dortmund
man
during
the
media
conference
on
Friday
ahead
of
the
weekend’s
clash
with
Southampton.

“Obviously,
when
a
player
is
not
scoring
it’s
affecting
his
confidence,
it’s
affecting
the
mood
and
probably
the
belief,
but
you
have
to
rebel
against
this
situation,
don’t
accept
it
and
feel
sorry
for
yourself.”

6
–
Pierre-Emerick
Aubameyang
has
failed
to
score
in
each
of
his
last
six
Premier
League
appearances,
his
longest
such
run
in
the
competition.
It’s
his
longest
goalless
league
run
overall
since
a
14-game
spell
from
February
to
August
2014
with
Borussia
Dortmund.
Concern.

pic.twitter.com/4zhPM8Uy0a

—
OptaJoe
(@OptaJoe)

December
6,
2021

When
asked
about
his
relationship
with
his
captain
after
dropping
him
for
the
Everton
game,
Arteta
added:
“I
have
a
very
good
relationship
with
my
players.

“Everyone
has
to
understand
that
I
always
do
the
best
for
this
club
and
for
this
team.
And
often
if
that
can
benefit
any
individuals,
I
will
always
do
it.
The
decisions
are
not
personal;
the
decisions
are
just
to
get
a
performance,
and
the
best
out
of
the
team.
That’s
it.”

Aubameyang
has
been
linked
with
a
move
away
from
Arsenal
in
January,
which
was
put
to
Arteta
at
the
media
conference.

“Really,
we
have
never
discussed
something
like
this,”
he
said.
“And
when
players
are
under
difficulty
–
or
the
team
is
under
difficulty
–
what
we
have
to
be
is
supportive.”

Arsenal
sit
seventh
in
the
Premier
League
after
losing
three
of
their
last
four
games,
including
their
last
two
against
Manchester
United
and
Everton,
but
Arteta
believes
his
team
deserved
more
from
those
defeats.

“Every
time
you
lose
a
football
match
in
this
club
[a
negative
reaction
is]
what
happens,”
the
Spaniard
added.

“I
think
it’s
what
should
happen
because
we
are
here
to
win
every
match
and
when
we
lost
two
in
a
row,
it’s
painful
and
it’s
even
more
painful
for
me
the
way
we
lost
those
games
because
of
the
trajectory
that
the
team
had
and
the
results
that
we
were
having.

“Still,
in
those
two
matches,
I
feel
that
we
deserved
much
more
than
two
defeats,
for
sure.
Against
Manchester
United
and
looking
back
at
the
game
against
Everton,
even
more,
but
we
haven’t
and
we
have
to
manage
and
know
how
to
win
more
matches.”

Arsenal
have
lost
just
one
of
their
last
11
league
games
against
Saturday’s
opponent
Southampton
(W6
D4),
while
at
home
the
Gunners
are
unbeaten
in
26
league
games
against
them
since
a
1-0
loss
in
November
1987.