Arsenal: Nicolas Pepe vs Bukayo Saka needs to be decided fairly

Arsenal started both Bukayo Saka and Nicolas Pepe against Manchester United, but with changes a-coming, it was clear which one wins the starting job.

Nicolas Pepe broke Arsenal‘s transfer record, and that’s a record that probably won’t be re-broken any time soon. It was a clear investment in the skills of the Frenchman, who had a prolific goal scoring record in Ligue 1. But there is a time coming when Unai Emery will have to choose between the club’s record signing and arguably the most exciting young man at the club—Bukayo Saka. And there can be only one winner.

Nowhere was the gap in skill more seen than in the match against Manchester United. The Red Devils had no problems with Pepe, and when they did, Pepe had a problem with himself. But Saka caused them problems all day.

You can see it in the minutes they played. Against Aston Villa, Emery was far too quick to pull off Saka, but against United, Saka won out. Though he only played six minutes more, he was twice as good as Pepe across the board.

It’s evident both in the numbers and the way they played. Saka was everywhere. And not in the bad way that involves poor positioning. He just always seemed to be ready to take the ball and drive, so play a smart pass or fire a wicked shot.

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He tracked back with more enthusiasm, he handled the ball with more confidence and moving on to the numbers, they will back up this lapse in quality.

Pepe lost the ball six times, Saka three. Saka completed twice as many dribbles, he wasn’t nearly as wasteful (I can’t unsee Pepe’s miss at the far post) and his shots were actually dangerous, and not wasteful or squibs.

He led the team in tackles won with a whopping five. No one else was close. He was an everything player, which I wouldn’t even consider to be in the future for Pepe.

With Alexandre Lacazette set to return, there will need to be a decision. You can’t start them both, but if you want to put your best foot forward and reward your best performers, the job has to go to Saka.

It may be a hard decision to stomach for everyone involved—fans, manager and players—but it’s the right decision. Right now, Saka is just better. And Pepe needs to keep up with him if he wants that starting job.