Saka the surprise omission as Pepe starts for Arsenal in north London derby
Nicolas Pepe returns to the Arsenal starting line-up for Sunday's north London derby, with Bukayo Saka on the bench.
Bukayo Saka is a surprise omission from the Arsenal starting XI as Nicolas Pepe is given the nod by Mikel Arteta for the north London derby.
Arsenal go to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium just a point above their hosts, and both will be hoping for a victory to boost faltering bids for European football.
Arteta has once again chosen to go with the 3-4-3 formation that has largely proved dependable for the Gunners in recent weeks.
However, the talented Saka must be content with a place on the bench despite setting up Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the Gunners' 1-1 draw with Leicester City on Tuesday.
Saka has been a shining light for Arsenal this term, with the 18-year-old setting up 12 goals across all competitions this season.
Taking his place in the line-up is Pepe, who starts for the first time this month. After a shaky start, the Ivorian has gone on to have a relatively promising debut season with the Gunners, having a hand in 11 Premier League goals.
There are few surprises in the Tottenham team, with Lucas Moura and Son Heung-min joining Harry Kane in attack, while Tanguy Ndombele is left on the bench yet again – the Frenchman is yet to start a Premier League match since its resumption last month.
