Unai Emery has revealed Nicolas Pepe should be ready ahead of Saturday’s Premier League fixture versus Southampton. The Ivorian arrived back in the UK late after representing his national team in an African Cup of Nations qualification match.
The Ivory Coast suffered a surprise defeat in Ethiopia and as a result, sit third in Group K. Pepe played 90 minutes and given the length of the journey home was allowed to skip training yesterday but is expected to return today. However, Emery appeared to be convinced that he would still be able to call upon the summer acquisition for the game against the Saints.
TIF Tactics – Nicolas Pepe, the story so far…
Pepe hasn’t had the instant impact at Arsenal the supporters would have hoped. He arrived for a club-record transfer fee worth £72m in the summer but at just 24-years-old, was the expectation placed on the former Lille winger’s shoulders unrealistic?
That would appear to be the case. Most players coming from abroad generally require a period of time to find their feet and settle down, but when the transfer fee is as substantial as the one which the Gunners paid for Pepe, criticism is almost certainly going to follow every sub-standard performance.
Pepe, who is valued at £67.5 million (Transfermarkt), has made 11 appearances in the Premier League this season, registering two assists and scoring his only goal from the penalty spot versus Aston Villa after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang handed him the ball to take it. He showed a glimpse of his best in the Europa League when he came off the bench to score a couple of sensational free-kicks and turn the game versus Vitoria S.C. on its head.
The Arsenal faithful will be hopeful of an up-turn in the winger’s performances but there is no doubt the quality is there. It’s simply a matter of patience – there’s certainly a lot more to come from this player.