Alan Shearer believes that Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta let rip at Nicolas Pepe at half-time last night, as per his comments to Premier League productions.
Pepe was handed a rare start for Arsenal against Leeds yesterday, but he failed to take his opportunity.
The Ivorian was off colour in the first-half and then got sent off for head butting Gianni Alisoki in the second.
Arteta publicly criticised Pepe after the game, with the Arsenal boss saying that he let his side down with his show of petulance.
But Shearer believes that Arteta’s words may actually have caused the incident at half-time.
He said: “My guess, it’s just a pure guess, is that he’s had a right telling off at half time from the manager because of his first-half performance.
“He didn’t work hard enough, no end product and there was very little in his game.
“Now I think the manager might have gone and said some words to him at half-time and that was a culmination of that and the frustration.”
Pepe is now facing a real fight to turn his Arsenal career around after the red card.
The Gunners’ record signing’s form has been hit and miss since he joined, and he will surely have to improve significantly to win his manager’s trust back after yesterday’s incident.
Arsenal still managed to hold on for 0-0 a draw, even after Pepe was given his marching orders.
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