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The Ivorian forward was one of the most prominent in the Gunners’ advance to the Europa League round of 32.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has praised Nicolas Pepe after he scored a goal in a 3-0 win over Molde in a UEFA Europa League match.
Four days ago, the 25-year-old who was sent off in the Gunners’ goalless draw at Leeds United after heading Ezgjan Alioski on Elland Road, but reacted to the incident with “a great performance” on Thursday.
After a goalless first half at Molde, the Ivory Coast international broke Arsenal’s deadlock with his third goal in the Europa League this season.
Goals from Reiss Nelson and Folarin Balogun ensured the Gunners’ sympathetic away win and Arteta has singled out Pepe for praise.
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“I am very happy. After the disappointment of something negative, you want to see a reaction and I could see from the first minute with his body language that he was ready to act,” Arteta said after the game.
“I think he had a great performance, he scored a goal and he could have scored another or two. He created some good moments in the game and he worked really hard for the team, so I like him a lot, I’m satisfied with that.”
Arteta also insisted that Lille’s £ 72 million signing must be consistent with the kind of performance he showed at the Aker Stadion.
“We all know what his level is, and the question is always how often can he reach that level and how does he contribute to other aspects of the game,” said the Spanish coach.
“Today is the example of the level he needs to reach, and he needs to continue doing it because he is capable of doing it and it is seen that every time he gets into those positions he wins the last third, he is a real threat and a very difficult player to control because he can go with your feet, it can enter, it can shoot, it can create centers and it can also enter behind you.
“That is what we can expect from him.”
