RUTHLESS Mikel Arteta terrified the Arsenal dressing-room with the no-nonsense way he dumped dissenting captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in January.
And as the table-topping Gunners prepare for a first reunion with Auba on Sunday, veteran long-serving midfielder Mo Elneny claims the striker’s departure was the moment that Arteta completely established his authority.
Aubameyang, who signed for Chelsea in the summer after just six months at Barcelona, has already lit the touchpaper for Sunday’s explosive Stamford Bridge clash by declaring: “Arsenal, nothing personal. I’m back, I’m blue, I’m ready.”
But Egyptian international Elneny reckons Arteta has already proved himself the winner in his long-running battle with Aubameyang which culminated in the striker’s contract being paid so he could join Barca as a free agent.
He says: “When Mikel took the captaincy from Auba, it was 100 percent the moment he established himself.