ARSENAL legend Lee Dixon has told Nicolas Pepe to simply ‘play better’ if he wants more game time.
The Gunners’ £72million record signing has made just one start in the Premier League this season, leaving him ‘frustrated’.
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Lee Dixon made 619 appearances for the Gunners as a playerCredit: PA:Empics Sport
Former full-back Dixon, 56, responded to the 25-year-old with three words of advice, tweeting: “Play better then.”
Pepe has scored 11 goals in 54 games for the Gunners since he joined from Lille in 2019.
But this season he has used predominantly in the Europa League by Mikel Arteta.
Despite scoring two goals and registering two assists in Europe, he has been overlooked for league games.
Six of his seven top-flight appearances this term have come from the bench.
Speaking about his struggle, Pepe told Canal+ via Metro: “My goal is to play more, have a little more playing time.
“A player who plays is happy. For me, I would like to play a little more to find a smile again.
“[Arteta] wants me to be 100 per cent focused during the 90 minutes of the match.
Nicolas Pepe has made just one Premier League start this seasonCredit: Getty Images – Getty
“Afterwards, I see during training that I will be a substitute the following weekend.
“But the coach speaks to me, he also has assistants who are there for that.
“But it is frustrating for any player to be on the bench.
“The coach makes his choices. It’s up to me to show him that I deserve that chance.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
