[ad_1]
The Gunners club record signing made its first start to the new campaign when Mikel Arteta’s team beat Leicester 2-0 on Wednesday night.
When Nicolás Pepe arrived at Arsenal in the summer of 2019, there was a sense of excitement about the signing that had not been felt at the Emirates Stadium since Mesut Ozil’s deadline who moved from Real Madrid in 2013.
The Gunners had spent a club record of £ 72 million ($ 95 million) to get the Ivory Coast international from Lille, a figure that eclipsed the previous record of £ 56 million ($ 79 million) paid to Borussia. Dortmund by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
For their money, Arsenal had landed a player who had scored 22 goals for Lille during the 2018-19 season, a goal tally that played a key role in the French club’s second place in Ligue 1.
Pepe was seen as the man who would come in and make his mark immediately at Arsenal, but it hasn’t worked out that way for the winger.
There were flashes of real quality during his first season in England, but consistency proved to be an issue. Yet despite that, he finished his first campaign at Arsenal with 10 goals and eight assists.
For a player who has to adapt to a new club and the most demanding league in the world, this is not a bad turn. And that’s before taking into account the problems Arsenal faced last season that led to them having three different coaches.
The problem for Pepe, however, is that he will always be judged on his transfer fee and for that reason this is a great year for the former Lille star.
It already feels like a decisive season for him at Arsenal.
There is no doubt that he improved as last season progressed and finished the campaign in good shape, playing a major role in Arsenal’s FA Cup victory.
He was excellent in the quarter-final success at Sheffield United, as he was in the semi-final victory against Manchester City when he prepared Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for the first goal.
There was another good performance in the final itself, and displays like that showed why Arsenal invested so much to bring it in from France.
But now he needs to build and improve on that strong season finale. However, the problem he faces is that Willian has arrived from Chelsea to add more competition for the positions on the right side.
The Brazilian international has started Arsenal’s two league games so far this season and played a starring role in a 3-0 win at Fulham on the opening weekend.
Pepe, for his part, has had to settle for fleeting appearances from the bench.
The club’s record signing had its first campaign start in Leicester City on Wednesday when Arsenal opened their Carabao Cup campaign with a 2-0 third-round win, but Willian is expected to return to the team when the Gunners are face Liverpool at Anfield on Monday.
“It is not [just] Nico, I think for the players who were on the bench and also the ones we had to leave at home, “said Arteta, while discussing having to leave players out of their starting XI.” If they raise their levels then the performances of the team and the club will improve and that is what I demand of them.
“I am very happy with all the guys and with the way they are training, but the national team is getting more complicated and with this new rule of only having 18 players in the squad makes it very difficult.”
Pepe was not poor at King Power Stadium, and he even played an important role in the opening goal. It was his center after an energetic run into the box that resulted in the fight that eventually led to Christian Fuchs deflecting the ball into his own net.
There were some real quality moments, especially in the second half, and his work ethic on the right side was exactly what his coach would have been demanding.
But it wasn’t the kind of performance that will see him force his way into Arteta’s starting XI in Merseyside. When Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette return to the flank at Anfield, it is highly likely that Willian will join them up front.
It is a challenge that Pepe has to face this season. At Arteta he has a coach who has a proven track record of bringing out the best in attacking players. Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling benefited greatly from working with him at Manchester City.
“He’s very willing and he’s a player with incredible potential,” Arteta said towards the end of last season, after Pepe had scored in the loss at Brighton. “He does need to watch the moments in the game where he disconnects himself a little bit though. He can’t do that, and I’ll be very persistent with him trying to change that.
“He also needs to be decisive in every game because if he is at his best, he is a player who can make a difference.
“There are things to work on and improve on, but it is going in the right direction. He is also doing things very well, like realizing what to do for the team when we don’t have the ball.
Arteta constantly coached Pepe off the bench against the Foxes. The Spaniard knows he has a real talent on his hands, and it’s just about getting the best out of him.
The potential that Pepe has is clear, but he needs to believe a little more in himself, especially when he has the ball on his right foot.
He had a chance in the first half against Leicester when he received a pass from Joe Willock inside the penalty area. Most would have fired the first time, but since he was on his right foot, he tried to cut in on the left and allowed a Leicester defender to back off and clear the danger.
These are moments like that where Pepe must improve. For £ 72 million, you want to see a player shooting with the weakest foot, missing the opportunity because he is not comfortable shooting.
Pepe has shown during his short stay in North London that he has the talent to make a real difference at Arsenal. But now he has to start showing more than just potential.
