Arsenal team news: Unai Emery may unleash Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette & Nicolas Pepe

Unai Emery has teased the possibility that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pepe can all be in the same starting line-up.

The trio have only spent 35 minutes on the pitch together in the opening three games of the season as Lacazette has battled an ankle problem and Pepe has adjusted to life in England.

But Emery believes all three could start and hinted he might do so against Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

“I think they can start together and they can play also during the match as all three, it depends how we decide our gameplan,” Emery said.

“But I am very optimistic for that situation, but not also those three players, also (Reiss) Nelson, (Henrikh) Mkhitaryan, (Joe) Willock, (Mesut) Ozil.

“We need to be able to make the best decisions, but above all, to have different possibilities with the players.”

Lacazette has started just once so far as he has battled with the injury he sustained in pre-season, but Emery is positive that he is nearing his best.

The Spaniard understands the excitement of seeing him alongside Pepe and Aubameyang, but has urged caution.

“Yes, but be calm. My decision in each moment is thinking about how we are,” he added.

“For example with Lacazette he had a problem with his ankle. This week is the best week of the last three weeks. He’s getting better and feeling better with his ankle, it’s very positive.

“With Pepe, he came here later than the others but he is getting and feeling better in each match.

“Aubameyang is very important for us, he scores two goals in the first two matches, he had two or three good actions in Liverpool.

“The most important thing for me is to have chances and after with players like Aubameyang, Lacazette, Pepe, Micki, Reiss, (Dani) Ceballos and Mesut we can score with different players.”

Last season’s north London derby at the Emirates was a fine spectacle as the Gunners won a highly-charged contest 4-2.

And Emery wants more of the same.

He said: “The intensity was very important but they are also going to try to play with their identity and we need to impose our gameplan against them, knowing it’s going to be difficult.

“We need to look at our positioning offensively and defensively.

“Above all, we need to play each ball, each metre, each minute with that intensity. After, we need to be clever when we have the ball and are in good situations to make the difference against them.

“Also, I think it’s a very, very big challenge for us and it’s a very, very good moment, a good match and the possibility of winning against them on Sunday gives a chance for good success.

“We also remember that last year we finished behind them with only one point’s difference in 38 matches. We are going to play against the Champions League finalists and there are a lot of positives for us, for our supporters, to enjoy that match on Sunday.”