Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has claimed that he has "never been in a better dressing room" after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's recent comments on his ability to manage experienced players.
The relationship between the pair broke down towards the end of 2021, with Aubameyang being stripped of the Arsenal captaincy before being allowed to join Barcelona.
The 33-year-old is now back in the Premier League with Chelsea, and footage has emerged of him criticizing Arteta's ability to control a dressing room of senior figures in the wake of his exit.
"We knew the coach, Xavi, then he called me and said there is an opportunity because you have those problems with Arsenal, but if you come you will help us a lot, so I said okay," Aubameyang told A Jewellers.
"But to manage big characters or big players, he [Arteta] can't deal with it. He [Arteta] needs some young players, they don't say anything, they listen."
© Reuters
Aubameyang has since apologised for his comments, but Arteta was inevitably questioned on the topic ahead of Thursday's Europa League clash with Bodo/Glimt in Group A.
The Gunners boss refused to give much of a reaction in his pre-match press conference, but the Spaniard hinted that the harmony at London Colney has improved since Aubameyang's departure.
When asked about the mood in the camp and Aubameyang's comments, Arteta said: "People are free to discuss what they want. [The mood is] Phenomenal. I have never been in a better dressing room," as quoted by arsenal.com.
"More enjoyable, more hard-working, better relationships with the staff to players and it's an absolute pleasure as a coach to be a part of this group."
Arsenal are aiming to make it three wins from three in the 2022-23 Europa League with victory over Bodo/Glimt, with the Gunners currently two points clear at the top of Group A.
Striker Gabriel Jesus was a notable absentee from training on Wednesday, and Arteta has confirmed that the 25-year-old has been left at home in spite of previous reports claiming that he would make the journey to Norway.
© Reuters
"We felt that with everything he's been through in the last few weeks that it would be better for him to stay at home," Arteta said on Jesus's condition.
Mohamed Elneny and Emile Smith Rowe are definite absentees for Arsenal, but Arteta refused to go into detail on any other physical issues amid concern over Oleksandr Zinchenko's muscular problem.
Zinchenko was forced to miss the weekend's 3-2 win over Liverpool, where Jordan Henderson and Gabriel Magalhaes exchanged words in the second half, and the FA are now gathering information on the incident.
Arteta has no intention of getting involved in the saga, telling reporters: "It's something I don't want to touch. It's in the FA's hands and I'm not going to get involved in that.
"It's something that I don't decide, timings are really difficult to predict. The FA now is in charge of the situation and we will have to wait and see."
With Jesus absent, Eddie Nketiah is set to lead the line at the Aspmyra Stadion and will look to make English football history with a goal on Thursday night.
Ben Knapton
