Arsenal: Three strikes that led to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang losing the captaincy

Arsenal have today stripped Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of the club captaincy in a drastic move, after what is now the third incident involving the striker.

He was dropped from the squad for the victory against Southampton at the weekend, having reported back for duty late from a pre-approved trip.

And his latest indiscretion has forced boss Mikel Arteta to act, with the armband now ruthlessly taken off the superstar and a 'leadership group' re-introduced.

The first run-in with the hierarchy at the Emirates came back in February this year, when the UK had been plunged into another lockdown.

But despite the tough restrictions, Aubameyang, 32, was filmed posing with a new tattoo alongside a tattoo artist - a picture which quickly raised eyebrows.

Arsenal investigated the incident in an attempt to discover if any rules had been breached, but ultimately decided to keep their findings in-house.

'Whatever we do with our players we keep it internally,' Arteta said.

'It is true that there are a lot of members of our squad that have extended families at home and if any player does something that is not in the regulation obviously the club acts immediately - but always privately as well.'

Sources at the club suggested Aubameyang and the artist were in the same bubble.

The artist responsible, Alejandro Nicolas Bernal, stated that the video - which was shared on Instagram - was taken from a separate tattoo in 2019.

However, Aubameyang was photographed on Valentine's Day with new artwork on the back of hand, which was then covered up during a game.

At the time, government guidelines decreed that all mobile and static tattoo parlours had to remain closed to help avoiding the spread of coronavirus.

The controversy around the frontman did not stop there, though. Just a month later, he was benched for the north London derby due to lateness.

'He was going to start the game,' Arteta told Sky Sports. 'We had a disciplinary issue. We have drawn the line and we move on. He is on the bench.

'We have a process we have to respect for every game and that is it. We have a way of leaving together that we have to respect each other and that is it.

'But he is an incredible guy and he is one of the most important players in the team, he is our captain, and we move forward.'

Arsenal went on to win the game 2-1, with Aubameyang an unused substitute.

Sportsmail reported in the aftermath that the striker was facing a fine to go along with his benching, because that was not the first time he had not been punctual.

Arteta's decision was a bold one, too, with Aubameyang having scored nine goals in his previous 12 games before he fell short of the club's rules.

The third incident, which ultimately saw him stripped of his role, came more recently - with the star returning late from a pre-approved trip to France to visit his ill mother.

In a curt statement, Arsenal said: 'Following his latest disciplinary breach last week, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will no longer be our club captain, and will not be considered for selection for Wednesday's match against West Ham United.

'We expect all our players, particularly our captain, to work to the rules and standards we have all set and agreed. We are fully focused on tomorrow's match.'

Sportsmail has previously reported that the controversy has only ramped up reservations from inside the club about his position as the skipper.

The former Borussia Dortmund man was given permission to jet out last Wednesday morning to collect his mother and bring her back to England.

It was agreed that he would return later that evening to ensure he would be ready to train, as normal, the day after.

However, he is said to have flown home instead the following morning.

Current Covid-19 testing protocols meant he was unable to join in with drills until he had produced a negative PCR test.