Nicolas Pepe has taken to Instagram to apologise for the actions that led to his red card in Sunday's 0-0 draw with Leeds, admitting there is 'no excuse' for his behaviour.
It had been an uneventful stalemate at Elland Road until Pepe's altercation with Ezgjan Alioski sparked things into life. The two had been seen niggling at each other off the ball previously, but Pepe took things a step too far when he appeared to push his head into the Leeds midfielder at the beginning of the second half.
As is the way with footballers, Alioski collapsed rather melodramatically, and the referee was left with no choice but to send Pepe for an early bath. The Ivorian admits that he 'let his team down' as he issued a social media apology.
Pepe's dismissal means he will miss the trip to Wolves next Sunday and, crucially, the north London Derby with Tottenham that follows six days later. The Gunners are looking to recover from a sticky start to the season; they sit 11th in the table and already trail the Champions League qualification places by five points.
Source: 90min
