Kieran Tierney's "horrible" experience of coming up against Nicolas Pepe in training backs up Mikel Arteta's claim that he has seen a different player since returning from AFCON.
The Ivorian has been on the fringes of the Spaniard's team for the majority of the season with the likes of Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli above him in the pecking order.
Pepe was frustrated with his lack of game time and even approached Arteta to ask why he wasn't getting any minutes as the Gunners boss suggested he wasn't seeing enough from the winger in training.
There were reports that Arsenal were willing to cut their losses in January as clubs from France expressed an interest in the former Lille man.
Pepe, who scored Arsenal's opening goal in a 2-1 win over Wolves last month, would stay put as he starred for Ivory Coast in the African Cup of Nations at the turn of the year.
Does Nicolas Pepe have a future at Arsenal? Comment below
And it seems like he has taken Arteta's advice on board upon his return to the Emirates as the forward looks a "different player" according to the Arsenal boss.
Kieran Tierney and Rob Holding have echoed those sentiments this week as the defenders opened up on how difficult it is to face Pepe in training.
When asked who is the hardest to play in training, the Scottish international said: "I'd say Pepe all day. I play against him every day and it's a horrible experience. He's good."
Holding also chimed in, repeating the former Celtic ace's assessment on Pepe.
He added: "Yeah it’s not nice. I wouldn’t want to play against him every day, one v ones against Pepe every day…"
Pepe expressed his disappointment at being on the periphery of Arteta's side back in December as he was an unused substitute for their 4-1 victory at Leeds.
Arteta revealed at full-time that he had spoken to Pepe prior to the game with the 26-year-old upset about his minutes this season.
He said: "A player that doesn’t play if he's happy we have a big problem.
"Nico has not been happy and asking for more minutes. This is the attitude we want from our players."
Pepe was left on the bench in the 2-1 defeat against Everton a few weeks prior to that result as Eddie Nketiah was deployed instead of the Ivorian.
Asked why he opted for the Englishman over Pepe on that occasion, Artea said: "Because I decided to play Eddie today. He created three chances and hit the post once in 25 minutes I think."
When pushed on the decision, Arteta claimed that it was his performance in training that merited his place in the squad ahead of other players - suggesting Pepe had not been showing enough in training to be picked.
He added: "He does every day in training what you see him do here. Every single day. That's why I picked him."
Pepe's application in training has improved dramatically since those talks with Arteta, however, leading to claims that he looks a completely different player.
"Since he has come back from AFCON I think I have seen a different Nico as well," said Arteta last month.
"I don’t know what it is, probably he has realised the importance of the end of the season for him. He had a brilliant end of the season last year. He can replicate that.
"We need him at his best because everybody is going to contribute. We are a really short squad at the moment and we need it and hopefully, he has understood that we want to play him.
"I don't want to have a player like him sitting on the bench and not using him and the moment I have chances, I want to give him a chance."
