Arsenal vs Newcastle: You either start Nicolas Pepe or you’re wrong

Arsenal need to come out of this lengthy break definitively against Newcastle, and that becomes a lot easier with Nicolas Pepe. You either agree or you’re wrong.

I find it hilarious when opposing fans mock Arsenal for signing Nicolas Pepe. Like he’s some kind of failure. It just shows that they haven’t actually seen him play. They’re just looking at the numbers. Because it you watch Pepe play, you will see that he is worth every little bit we spent on him.

The problem is actually watching him play, since he rarely does.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m cutting Mikel Arteta all the slack in the world. He’s learning. That’s fine. But that doesn’t mean I can’t ask questions and I cannot see a single feasible reason why Pepe was not even called on as a substitute against Burnley.

You’re level at 0-0, you can’t create chances, and you don’t turn to your most individually proficient player at doing exactly that—creating chances.

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We’ve had a lengthy lay-off and Newcastle are next. And honestly, the first thing I want to know is how Pepe will be used against the Magpies. But I’m about to blow a gasket if he is left huddled on the bench in any capacity. I will be slightly less gasket-blown if he comes on as a sub and I will be resolutely indifferent if he’s where he belongs—in the starting XI.

Why indifferent? Because that’s where he should be. I’m not going to celebrate something being as it should be. Like, hooray, this chair is under my arse. No.

Nicolas Pepe is single-handedly deadly. He is a one-man wrecking crew. He has rough spots, but he isn’t going to fix them by sitting and watching his team fail to do all the things he’s good at.

Also, you have to start thinking about what this means to him. We spent a lot of money on him. We will be paying it off for the next four years. Do you really want to go irking a guy and making him feel unwanted and frustrated when you still haven’t fully paid him off yet? That seems rather stupid, if you ask me. Which you did. I heard you.

Newcastle is a fresh start. It’s the beginning of the rest of the season. Stick Pepe in there, let him figure himself out before he runs rampant on the whole of England next year. See what the idiots have to say after that.