Nicolas Pepe will become game-changer for Arsenal, admits Unai Emery
Arsenal boss Unai Emery has revealed that he knew that Nicolas Pepe would come find his way and deliver spectacular performances. The Ivorian signed for Arsenal over the summer and finally announced himself with two outstanding free-kicks in a 3-2 Europa League win over Vitoria Guimaraes.
Arsenal smashed their transfer record to acquire Nicolas Pepe from LOSC Lille in a £72m deal after they were unwilling to meet Crystal Palace's asking price for Zaha. The Gunners broke the bank to sign Pepe who contributed 22 goals and 11 assists in Lille's campaign which saw them finish second in the league. The Ivorian moved to Emirates and was expected to do big things with Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette. Sadly, prior to Arsenal's clash with Vitoria Guimaraes, Pepe had only scored one goal for the North Londoners.
That saw him heavily criticised for not turning up in games but Unai Emery believes that things will change now. While talking ahead of Arsenal's clash against Crystal Palace, the Spaniard went on to reveal that the brace in Europa League will act as a confidence booster for the 24-year-old forward. The former Sevilla manager also added that Pepe has finally silenced the critics who were asking him to justify his price tag and the goals are a sign of bigger things to come for the Ivorian.
"We chose to sign Pepe even though Zaha is a very good player. We signed Pepe not for two months, six months, one or two years but for the process. And the process is coming together little by little. Nicolas will be more confident after Thursday. This club follows a lot of players all around the world because we have very good scouts. We are very happy with Pepe. We need patience and to be calm with him, help him and protect him because he can think he is playing under pressure," said Emery to the Mirror.
After their victory in the Europa League, Arsenal will want to return to winning ways in the Premier League too. Last weekend the Gunners walked away with a 1-0 defeat to newly-promoted Sheffield United at Bramall Lane and the North London club welcome Crystal Palace at Emirates on Sunday. However, a defeat to the Eagles may see Arsenal slip from their 5th spot as both the clubs are separated by just one point, all in all, this is a crucial fixture for Emery's men.
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