Arsenal fans fear that Nicolas Pepe could be frozen out after his latest comments.
Pepe spoke of his frustrations over a lack of starts at Arsenal to Canal +, as he continues to struggle to break into Arteta’s side.
“A player who plays is happy. For me, I would like to play a little more to find a smile again,” he said.
“He [Arteta] wants me to be 100 per cent focused during the 90 minutes of the match. Afterwards, I see during training that I will be a substitute the following weekend.”
The comments have worried Arsenal fans for multiple reasons, though.
Some are concerned that Arteta, who has been a disciplinarian since taking charge, will react badly to the comments and drop him from Arsenal’s squad completely.
Others fear that Pepe’s words may hint towards a greater disharmony in the dressing room.
Either way, Arteta seems to have some work to do to win back the faith of Arsenal’s supporters.
Arteta made an excellent start to life with the Gunners, but questions are now being asked of him, after what has been a poor start to the campaign.
Pepe also needs to improve his standards if he is to break into Arsenal’s team on a consistent basis.
The Ivorian has not always produced when given an opportunity, which has led to him losing his spot in Arteta’s preferred line-up.
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