Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang breaks silence after Arsenal exile with cryptic Xmas message

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has taken to Instagram for the first time since being dropped by Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta as he posted a Christmas snap with his family, accompanied by a cryptic caption

Posted Sunday, December 26, 2021 by Dailystar.co.uk

Arsenal exile Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has broken cover for the first time since being dropped by Mikel Arteta.

The Gabon forward was stripped of the Gunners captaincy earlier this month after returning back to England late after a trip overseas to see his mother.

Aubameyang has been left out of Arsenal's last four games and Arteta has given no date for his return when quizzed by the media.

The striker has taken to social media for the first time since being dropped, posting a Christmas photo with his family with a caption that hints at him being unapologetic about his recent trip.

"Merry Christmas #Familyfirst," read the caption on the post.

Arsenal have thrived without the former skipper, securing comprehensive wins over Southampton, West Ham, Leeds and Sunderland in recent weeks.

Sections of the Gunners faithful are keen to see Aubameyang back in the fold, while others have praised Arteta taking control of the situation.

But Arteta has seemingly offered his former talisman an olive branch despite the forward reportedly having been given several chances regarding his discipline before.

Speaking on Wednesday ahead of the Boxing Day fixture against Norwich, the Spaniard said: “We will go game by game and we will decide the squad as we get closer to the game.

When asked why there was less clarity with his squad update than usual, he added: “That’s because we usually talk the day before a match, that’s when we decide the squad.

“We have shown in this club, everybody can make mistakes and have different ways of thinking and acting…I’m completely open to that, it’s not about that [making an apology]."

Should the striker return to the squad, there is no guarantee that he will be able to oust the likes of Gabriel Martinelli, Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah, who have all made a solid claim to start for the north Londoners.