Former Arsenal star Charlie Nicholas has laid down the gauntlet to £72 million man Nicolas Pepe, who has had a slow start to life at the Emirates.
The Gunners made Pepe their club record signing last summer as he joined from Lille after bagging 22 goals and 11 assists in the 2018/19 Ligue 1 campaign.
The 24-year-old has shown flashes of his brilliance but has largely been ineffective, scoring just three times in 19 Premier League matches.
Arsenal fans are not exactly enamoured with the French-born Ivory Coast international just yet and Nicholas has sent the forward a strong message after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's suspension.
"Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is out and quite rightly, so, there is no debate about that, but Arsenal can adjust," Nicholas told Sky Sports.
"They need more from Nicolas Pepe, but Alexandre Lacazette can turn it around for them and Mikel Arteta can ask him to be in the penalty box more.
"It was only a draw at Crystal Palace, but they should have had the game won in the first 45 minutes.
"Arsenal are only seven points above the drop zone, and I do not see that materialising but they are closer to that than they are to Chelsea."
But Nicholas is at least predicting good news for Arsenal this weekend as he backs his former side to prevail 3-1 at home against Sheffield United.
