Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed that the club will assess the situation surrounding striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang "game by game" as his Gunners exile continues.
The north-London outfit have been in stellar form during Aubameyang's unexpected absence, scoring 14 goals in the four Premier League fixtures the 32-year-old has missed.
Former Borussia Dortmund man Aubameyang has not been seen in a Gunners shirt since the 2-1 defeat by Everton on December 6 after he was stripped of the club captaincy due to his latest disciplinary breach.
Arsenal's most recent outing came in the form of a trip to Carrow Road to take on Dean Smith's struggling Norwich City side, who were resoundingly battered by the Gunners who put five past their hosts with no reply.
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Aubameyang's in-house suspension is set to last until at least the end of the Africa Cup of Nations at the earliest, the 32-year-old expected to join up with his Gabon teammates in early January.
At least, Arteta's post-match comments following the win over Norwich seemed to read like the Spaniard had no intention of deploying Aubameyang to lead the line once more anytime soon.
"He wasn’t selected for today’s match," Arteta said when asked about Aubameyang on Saturday evening.
"We’ll take it game by game. That was the decision."
While Aubameyang was a hot topic for many after the game, during the 90 minutes it was all about the new faces of Arsenal's youth revolution, the likes of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Emile Smith Rowe, Martin Odegaard.
Two of the aforementioned quartet were on the scoresheet against the Canaries as Saka bagged a brace before Smith Rowe notched his customary goal from off the bench.
Kieran Tierney registered his first Premier League goal of the season to double Arsenal's advantage in between Saka's two, a penalty from Alexandre Lacazette putting the game beyond any doubt by the time Smith Rowe added a fifth.
Discussing the win, Arteta expressed his delight with the amount of technical quality and creativity on display from his side.
"It’s a very satisfying result because in this festive period we have to keep performances to a high level," the Arsenal boss explained.
"We looked really sharp and committed. It’s a big win for us. I am really pleased. The amount of chances we create is pleasing.
"We go to every ground to try and impose our game. Today was a really good example.
"The unity we have around the club and with our fans is very pleasing."
The result ensured Arsenal will end the calendar year in fourth, before a daunting home tie with league leaders Manchester City on New Year's Day.
