This archive report was first published on 6 December 2019.
December 6, 2019, marked a shocking day for Arsenal fans as their team suffered a 2-1 defeat to Brighton, extending their winless run to nine games in all competitions.
During the match, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang left the pitch, leaving his team to defend with 10 men for several minutes. It was later revealed that the Gabon striker had gone off to answer a call from nature.
Interim boss Freddie Ljungberg, who was taking charge of his second game after Unai Emery's sacking, defended Aubameyang's decision, stating, 'He ran off and came back two or three minutes later. If you feel bad, you feel bad, it's nothing you can change.'
Ljungberg also added that he didn't even notice Aubameyang's brief absence, saying, 'I actually didn't even notice he went off, I just saw him come back on after he'd been off for a couple of minutes.'
The defeat marked Arsenal's worst run since March 1977, with the team now 10 points off the Champions League places and only five above the drop zone.
