Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe got on the scoresheet in the 3-0 win over Dundalk in the Europa League last night but, despite being the club’s record signing, the Ivorian has only started once in the Premier League this season.
After performing well in Europe, manager Mikel Arteta was asked about what the 25-year-old needs to add to his game in order to become a first-team regular for the Gunners. The Spaniard replied:
“Sometimes it’s the simple things: the deliveries, the amount of situations he is able to create or attract and then make the right decision to keep evolving that final ball, the finishing, the positioning inside the box which he has to be more consistent at. We are working on that and hopefully, he will be doing that much more efficiently.”
Pepe does have a battle on his hands to get game time in his favoured position on the right-hand side of the front three. Willian was brought in on a free transfer from Chelsea in the summer, with the Brazilian having immediately leapfrogged him in the pecking order.
Arteta has also employed Bukayo Saka in that position on occasion ahead of Pepe, and it seems that the Ivorian international will be given more game time in the league if he can improve his consistency and output in the final third of the pitch.