Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Spotted 'Stuck In Traffic' After He Was Dropped To Bench For Breaking Pre-Match Protocol

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was spotted by one fan being 'stuck in traffic' ahead of being dropped to the bench for Arsenal's 2-1 win over Tottenham at the Emirates.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta planned to start the 31-year-old Gabonese striker for the Gunners' clash with London rivals Spurs on Sunday.

However, Arteta confirmed that Alexandre Lacazette would take Aubameyang's place after the Arsenal captain breached the club's pre-match protocol.

When asked about dropping the Gunners skipper, the 38-year-old Spaniard told Sky Sports: "Because, for me, they are the foundation and the platform that we can build something medium and long-term that is sustainable and that can bring us joy and happiness.

"Without that, I don't believe that it would happen. That's why I keep talking about it and acting about it. I made what I thought was the right decision and we draw a line there and now let's move on again.

"We know how important Auba is for us and for the club and that's it. It's been dealt with, now let's move on."

One fan posted a picture on Twitter claiming to have spotted Aubameyang's car in traffic at 12:04pm in Muswell Hill.

Aubameyang, who was an unused substitute, was reportedly disciplined for turning up late for pre-match training ahead of the Spurs clash.

Spurs drew first blood in the match as Erik Lamela fired Jose Mourinho's side into the lead in the first half.

But Martin Odegaard, on loan from Real Madrid, pulled back an equaliser before half-time.

Lacazette slammed home a penalty in the second half as Arsenal sealed all three points against 10-men Spurs.

Arteta insisted that Aubameyang is "one of the most important players in the team," but he added that "these things happen."

Speaking on Aubameyang's absence, the Arsenal head coach explained: "We have a way of living together, we have to respect each other and that's it, but he is an incredible guy.

"He's one of the most important players in the team, he's our captain, but these things happen. We move forward and we enjoy the victory tonight.

"We have a lot of things going on in our lives, people are finding it difficult to handle a lot of the restrictions and it's part of our job."

Featured Image Credit: Twitter/PA

Topics: Tottenham Hotspur, Football, Premier League, England, Arsenal, Emirates, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

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