Arsenal boss Unai Emery has spoken out about the reasons why he did not start summer signings David Luiz or Nicolas Pepe in the 1-0 win against Newcastle United.
Luiz, who joined the Gunners on transfer deadline day from Chelsea, was an unused substitute at St James' Park, while Pepe, who became the club's record signing after arriving from Lille in a deal worth around £72million, also started on the bench.
Pepe was introduced for his debut in the second half, replacing Reiss Nelson in the 71st minute of the game, as Arsenal recorded a win on the opening weekend.
And Emery has revealed why he made the decision he did, with summer signings Dani Ceballos and Gabriel Martinelli also starting on the bench, before coming on in the second half.
"The circumstances are different. First David Luiz had a pre-season with another team and is ok to play physically but only trained with us completely yesterday. On Friday he only trained for 30 minutes," Emery said, speaking in his post-match press conference.
"I was thinking of giving Sokratis and Chambers confidence because they were working well.
[Nicolas] Pepe is different. He is now in pre-season. He came one week ago, physically he needs to get the best paces, to get fit, to be ready to play 100 per cent for 90 minutes. Today 20 minutes is good for him.
"[Dani] Ceballos is in the middle. He came before Pepe and he had an injury and stopped training. He needs also to know the Premier League. The first match for him is important for us. That's the reason."
But all three will be hoping to feature more in the coming weeks for Arsenal, with the Gunners hosting Burnley next weekend at the Emirates Stadium.
