Arsenal host West Ham United on Wednesday night in a key fixture among the race for European spots. The Hammers head into the game in fourth, with the Gunners just two places and two points behind - but with Mikel Arteta’s team also hit by off-field distractions this week, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang stripped of the captaincy and excluded from the squad after a disciplinary breach.
The boss must now appoint a new skipper and he’s clear about the traits that person needs, and where Aubameyang fell short. “We believe that he has failed to be committed at the level that we all expect and agreed, as simple as that,” Arteta said. “What I expect from any person in this football club is passion and that he gives absolutely 100 per cent, that he puts the club in front of any personal interests and is able to do anything to fulfil the badge we have on the chest.”
For the Hammers, it’s a chance to open up a gap down to Manchester United in fifth, but Arsenal can go fourth with a win of their own. Follow all the team news and live updates from Arsenal vs West Ham below:
