Will Holding and Pepe get their opportunities on Saturday?

After the humiliating butt-kicking the Gunners received in Manchester on Wednesday, Mikel Arteta will go back to the drawing board to piece together an injury-impacted back line, a non-productive midfield, and a front line that had little opportunity to contribute.

Part of his restructuring plan should include Nicolas Pepe and Rob Holding.

First, Rob Holding.

The talented Englishman has seen a lot of time on the sidelines following serious knee surgery and enduring months of rehab. He made his comeback for Arsenal on September 24, 2019, but has seen limited action since. Now he should be given the opportunity to crack Mikel Arteta’s starting XI. With injuries to several key defensive players, and of course, David Luiz’s incompetency, the 24-year-old should line-up with Mustafi at Brighton on Saturday.

And then, Nicolas Pepe.

There’s is no one on this team I would rather see succeed than Nicolas Pepe. The much heralded, and often maligned Arsenal forward has had a difficult first season adjusting to the Premier League. After showing spectacular form in Ligue 1, Pepe has just 4 goals in 24 appearances for the Gunners. However, his pace, passing and overall ball skills have shown over and over that he will become a class player in the PL. Arteta needs to keep the faith and provide him the reps he needs to regain his confidence. However, his position shouldn’t be entitled to him either since there is a corp of young forwards who will continue to compete with Pepe for Arteta’s attention. But with that said, I would like to see Pepe on the Arsenal front line Saturday morning.

From now until the end of the season, every game is a “must” win game. The Gunners can not afford to fall behind any further. Let’s hope Saturday gets the run started!

Projected final score:
Brighton and Hove 1 – Arsenal 2

Cheers, and stay healthy and safe!

Gunner1953