Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta made it clear he was not happy with some of his players during the 1-0 defeat Manchester City on Sunday. Arteta rang the changes as Pep Guardiola's flying side visited the Emirates. There were five alterations to the starting XI from Thursday's Europa League last-32 draw with Benfica.
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
Arsenal news: The Europa League is Mikel Arteta's only hope for a trophy this season (Image: EXPRESS)
"The fact that we have the Europa League gave the opportunity to almost everyone in the squad to be fit and available and compete for their place," said Arteta.
"[Pepe] has had some really good matches and scored some important goals as well and I think that has helped him for the Premier League form and the recent form that he's shown.
"I've seen a lot of things, in his mentality, the way he approaches every training session, in his understanding of the game as well.
"It's true that he has patches where he's played more than at other times. He has had the opportunity over the last couple of months that probably every player has been seeking to have but I think overall there is a lot of progress with Nico."