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Mikel Arteta has opted to continue with Alexandre Lacazette as Arsenal’s captain for the side’s Premier League clash with West Ham, a potentially crucial match in the race for a top-four finish.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been stripped of the armband after failing to report for duty on time after a trip abroad and was not considered for selection ahead of this evening’s London derby at the Emirates.
The 32-year-old Gabon international, who had been captain since November 2019, also missed out on Arsenal’s 3-0 victory over Southampton at the weekend and Lacazette led the side in his absence.
The Gunners have called for patience while Arteta reaches a decision over Aubameyang’s permanent replacement, with Kieran Tierney, Aaron Ramsdale and Ben White among those tipped as candidates for the role.
Former Arsenal skipper Granit Xhaka is seen as another option going forward, two years after he was himself stripped of the armband for swearing at supporters during the side’s 2-2 draw at home to Crystal Palace.
Asked why Lacazette was given the nod versus the Hammers, Arteta told BT Sport: ‘It’s just to give some continuity to what we did in the last game, it was Laca the captain, so we will continue like this.
‘That’s the choice that we made at the start of the season, with the captaincy, the order that we had in the squad and we are going to maintain that.’
On how long Aubameyang is likely to be excluded, the Spaniard replied: ‘For now he is not in the squad and I want to focus on the game today.’
Arteta hopes his Arsenal squad take encouragement from their comprehensive victory over Southampton, but knows they face a strong and well-organised West Ham side.
‘It was a good win against a…
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Source : metro
