Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admits he didn’t speak with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ahead of benching him for last night’s Europa draw with Slavia Prague.
After the 1-1 draw, Arteta was asked if he had spoken to his captain to explain his decision before kickoff.
“Well I cannot talk with everybody individually ever week,” replied the manager, “but we try to be transparent and communicate with the players as clearly as possible for them to understood the role that they have in the game. When he came on, he showed the right attitude and the right commitment.
“It was a big decision to leave some players out but we decided to play the team who had the best chance at the start of the game, and as well have some key players there to change the game when we need it. I think when they came on they had a real impact, which was very necessary in this competition and they did what we expected them to do.”