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Football London
Football London
Sport
Josh Challies

The player who should replace Nicolas Pepe for Arsenal vs Olympiacos in the Europa League

Former Arsenal striker Charlie Nicholas has called for Mikel Arteta to drop Nicolas Pepe for this week's Europa League tie with Olympiacos at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners head into the second-leg with a narrow 1-0 advantage following victory in Athens last week, where Alexandre Lacazette tucked home the only goal of the game.

There's still work to be done on Thursday though and, with no Premier League football at the weekend and Portsmouth in the FA Cup, it's an opportunity to go all-out in Europe.

However, Nicholas believes Arsenal should drop their club-record signing Pepe and hand Gabriel Martinelli a spot in the starting squad instead.

Mikel Arteta praises his team after playing three games in seven days

"I do not think this is a certain win for Arsenal. Mikel Arteta will sit and read into the fact that they let in two against Everton. Bernd Leno gets Arsenal out of a lot of holes but he did slip up for the second goal," he told Sky Sports.

"Joe Willock and Alexandre Lacazette will come in I think. You have to keep Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in for his goals. Will Nicolas Pepe get another run? Probably. Does he deserve it? Probably not. I would probably look at Gabriel Martinelli.

"The game against Manchester City has been postponed as they are in the Carabao Cup final, which means Arsenal can go at it and get into the last 16.

"You can still see the mess at the back, but Arteta will change things again. Sokratis Papastathopoulos may come in, while Hector Bellerin may drop out.

"You have to play Bukayo Saka at the back. This side has got its attacking side back and got its mojo back in that respect. Arsenal 3-1 Olympiakos."

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