It was reported that Pépé's deal with Besiktas failed because he was looking for a wage increase. This guy really don't know his true value at this moment.

Was hoping to see them together last weekend until Partey went and injured himself.

I don’t think it would take as much out of attack as people think. Both of them are very good deep passers of the ball and with them sitting, you could push Zinny or White forward for overlaps on the flanks. Or just to push forward into those left right attcking pockets where they’ve proven they interlink well with Saka and Martinelli. It would also stop Ødegaard needing to drop deep to get on the ball.

Would take some adjustment but I think it could work as a tactical option.

Pépé has moved to Trabsonspor. Rumoured fee of £3m

Obviously he’s been a huge flop for us given the fee and he just didn’t fit with Arteta’s plans, but he still produced far more output than someone like Antony at Man U

Definitely in big away games, where the emphasis is not conceding.

But I can see it unlocking our attack too. Reminiscent of Petit and Vieira.

I think Partey can be quite creative too.

Yes, he plays as an attacking midfielder for Ghana quite often.

If Arteta is looking to make us less predictable, or to have multiple ways of playing it is something I'd like to see vs City for example. It is hardly like Partey and Rice are old style defensive mids who just block, tackle, intercept and pass it 5 yards to someone more talented

....................Raya.................
Walters, Tomiyasu, Kiwior, Sousa
................Jorginho................
.......Emile Smith Rowe................ Vieira.......
Nelson........Nketiah.......Trossard

I wouldn't mind seeing this for the League Cup match. Looks a bit light in defence but I really don't want to see the best defenders risked

Is Jesus going to start again in league games or has Nketiah gotten the nod?

lol, it didn't take long for Rice to settle in. He will always love West Ham, just like how Palace will always have a special place in Wrighty's heart, but before all is said and done, Rice will be solidly committed to us, if he isn't already. The goal did a world of good. Also, he sees he is now on a team that can play anyone in the league and win. Winning will be the norm.

Since winning our first title in 1931, we are currently in the longest dry spell in our history. Strangely it doesn't seem as long as it really is to me. 2004 is relatively fresh in my memory, but there are a whole generation of Gooners who're growing up with no recollection or memory of it.

Did 1971 to 1989 seem as long as it did as portrayed in Fever Pitch or inbetween that time, a few cups distracted you as it did me since 2004?

Van Dijk has received an extra 1 game ban and a £100k fine for the abuse of the referee when he was sent off v Necastle. Keep that standard up across the whole season please

Jesus is still the better player, he causes chaos, is a better dribbler, more skillful and generally a better footballer - he also brings more out of Martinelli as he drifts to that left side - which may also help Havertz in that left 8 position (zinchenko being back helps this too). But, Nketiah has improved yet again this season for me, I'm not sure there are many clubs in the league with a No.9 back up as good as Nketiah.

If Jesus is fit then he starts but Eddie can do fine too and we'll likely see some rotation around CL matches. I think they could play together with Jesus on the right wing if we need to rest Saka also

No ways Jesus doesn't start after his performance against Manure.

I think Jesus would start most of our big games, but I think with goal scorers it's also about form. If Jesus is struggling and Eddie comes on a sub and does well, there is a good case for starting Eddie in the next game too. Play each when in form, and keep them both hungry.

I love Eddie but Jesus just seems a no brainer to start. Arteta may be going with whomever is hottest and certain positions are going to whomever is in form.

Well, one of the signs we are a big club is huge multi-million dollar flops. Man Utd have had several. haha

The one thing I saw in Pépé` almost immediately is a lack of maturity. He didn't seem like a team player from the start. It was about him. I thought we'd have scouted his personality better. Talent alone at this level isn't enough if your mindset isn't right.

Jesus over Nketiah anytime. Not downplaying Nketiah's abilities, but Jesus is so quick on his feet. He keeps the defender guessing when he has the ball.

International breaks are *%^@ aren't they.

They disrupt the flow of the PL and the momentum of teams. 90% of the games are not worth watching and carry the risk of season defining injuries.

There's another international break in a month.

Why can't they just get rid of the breaks and have 4-6 weeks at the end of the season where the intenational fixtures can be played.

Met up with an old school mate Friday. Once we were thick as thieves and inseparable but kind of drifted apart as you do when you get married and started a family and get older.

In short he was a mess. All over the place. Once the sensible one now deeply struggling with depression on sedatives and in therapy and as far I can tell possible alcoholism. Very worried about him now. The group of mates I had growing up all really seem to all have many issues with all sorts of stuff going on like depression/mental health needing therapy, anti depressants and drinking too much and other stuff I won’t go into. I don’t know if this is something that is more common in males reaching their 40s and the word “mid life crisis” does spring to mind but *%^@ me it feels everyone I know is spiralling out of control.

*%^@ knows why I’m writing this here probably by way of therapeutically composing my thoughts on it but take care folks.

Sorry to hear about your mate and yes, I've done that too.

Talking / writing about things in great therapy mate. Chemicals (including alcohol) not so much.

I've seen way too much of the latter. Drugs get thrown at everything these days, depression, ADHD, depression, not least by doctors and medical health professionals.

.. well you have struck at topic I have pondered for a while

Im sure there are many positive examples but I’m genuinely not sure how pharmaceutical solutions help a situation like this. Seems a rocky road

Wait till you get to your 50s, mates dying, mates stressed to *%^@, UK work culture *%^@*** people up, mates on all sorts of pills, booze catching up with people, drugs catching up with people. Happy days

Honestly what you describe feels to me this is the flight and direction i see. Living to work rather than working to live. People seem under immense pressure right now and the associated consequences are becoming visible to me.

I wanted us all to be ok because we are good people. Feels we are a step away from a tragedy that’s coming up. If after a decade you see Top gun as the person you require help from when something has gone awry then something has dreadfully gone wrong. Professionally successful but nobodies saviour. Sorry for being such a downer

Anyways I see Pépé has left. Great in the final third but terrible everywhere else and not mature enough to play Artetas system

Apparently we will be paying off his transfer fee for some time yet. Shockingly bad business by Sanelhi that probably got him fired

Too brainless to work consistently in any system apart from the French one that preceded Arsenal. Seemed to be full of the Big I am every time he scored after doing *%^@ all for match after match. Glad to see more dead wood moved on.

Edit: My mistake, he contributed significantly to us repeatedly losing the ball.

Was that the season Emery asked for the Crystal palace player ( name escapes me) and they got him instead. They never tried for any of his targets and got that clown Luiz from Chelsea for defence.

Was it Zaha and N’Zonzi Emery wanted and they got him Pépé and Torriera? Apart from playing in similar positions you almost couldn’t get a more different profile of player than the manager wanted!

At first it seemed like Fabio Vieira wasn't going to make it in the league. A bit too lightweight. I think a year under his belt not only 'toughened' him up so to speak as to how rough the PL can be he also learned how to compensate for his slight built.

I think he's going to be a game changer off the bench this season. Trossard is already that when he's not starting.

The board didn’t trust wenger after he wasted 90 odd million on Perez, xhaka and mustafi so deprived the next manager of the ability to pick his own players

There’s no way the Arsenal manager can be removed from the player acquisition decisions was just never going to work. You have to feel sorry for Emery a bit.

Arteta has reaped the benefit after those errors. At least if the manager has a say in the targets he has himself to blame if they fail.

Yes absolutely but also he’s made difficult decisions that meant he wouldn’t fail like the previous 2. Messers Özil, aubameyang and guendouzi take note. Was never ever going to fly. Literally thrown out of the bus. If he hadn’t been fired wenger would have endured years of 6/10 performances from those guys.

Cant imagine Artetas reaction if mustafi let the ball bounce over his head in a cup final because he wasn’t goal side. Would have been his last game. Quite simply the standards have increased. Also this is the reason why our best players are renewing their contracts now rather than pissing off at every big renewal, they can see it.

Anyone tried to speak to someone at the Club recently? Top tip - don't bother.

The website has removed all but the main phone number but if you do ring that and try to talk to a specific department, you get put through by a series of 'choices' to a voicemail, which tells you to email and says cheerio. It's the same whether your querying season tickets, ticket transfers or shirt orders that have gone missing. There is nobody at home. And don't expect the promised contact to happen soon - takes days normally.

I was having real trouble transferring my STs to my family last month. I called the only contact number available and waited 45 mins to climb about 4 places in the queue. I was still about number 15 when I quit. I got my phone bill recently. £12.28 for a 46:38 call to a number I recognised - 020 7619 5000. Yep.

Ødegaard and Trossard have both scored tonight

Don’t know if anyone caught the england game but Marc Guehi played. A player we’ve been linked to loads and I have to say I can certainly see why we have been linked as he looked the type and profile of defender Mikel plumps for being very capable in possession. He’s right footed so not sure how that works as we have benny and saliba but maybe if Gabriel leaves it might work.

There was also a fabulous young centre half called Harry Maguire, maybe we should look at him too

Thought Kane was being left behind most of the game or did I miss read it?

I thought he was dropping deep a lot but his range of passing is unmatched for a centre forward. He has to play a lot of games I think and I’m surprised he hasn’t had more major injuries.

What I love about Southgate is his willingness to give his fringe player minutes in meaningless friendlies. I mean does Harry Kane really have to play most of the game when Callum Wilson and Nketiah are on the bench.

What happens if Kane misses the euros with injury? The back-ups have hardly played. Nketiah did not get a single minute in two games.

The irony of his selections being that Maguire actually needs the minutes because he isn't being played by his club but surely Tomori needs experience of games like this. He might be called upon if injuries mount at the end of the season.

Did Saka really need to come on after his bruising game againt the Ukraine. Why not give Maddison more minutes?.

For an intelligent man Southgate really is a stupid manager.