Mikel Arteta urges Arsenal ace to be more consistent

Mikel Arteta has urged Nicolas Pepe to be more consistent as he continues to struggle since he joined Arsenal.

Pepe was signed by the Gunners instead of the likes of Wilfred Zaha in the summer of 2019, and he was expected to fire Arsenal into the top four.

While the Ivorian has been a fine addition to this Arsenal team and he has been a big part of what Arteta has achieved as the club’s manager, he is too inconsistent.

The former Lille man has the ability to be brilliant and in some games, he has scored wonderful goals.

But more often than not, he leaves his manager and the club’s fans frustrated at his inability to do the right thing like making the right pass in the final third or staying in the right position.

After Arsenal’s Europa League game against Dundalk last night in which he scored arguably the best goal, Arteta urged him once again to be more consistent.

‘He’s not been first choice in all of the games at the moment but he’s played a lot of moments,’ Arteta said via Mail Online. ‘Some have been better than others. 

‘It’s about finding the consistency, not through the games but during the games as well to be more incisive, and do the right things on many occasions when he has to make the right decision on the pitch. 

‘It’s nothing to do with his attitude. He’s a player who takes risks, a very creative player – that’s the most difficult thing in football, when the opposition know what you can do, how much they want to prevent the space, and creating situations from that is complicated. 

‘But sometimes it’s the simple things, the deliveries, the amount of situations he’s able to create or attract and then make the right decision to keep evolving that phase of play. 

‘For example, the finishing, the position inside the box, he has to be more consistent at it. We’re working on it, and hopefully he will be doing it much more efficiently.’ 

Tags Nicolas Pepe

10 Comments

    1. have you been watching the games?

      he did quite ok better than last season….

      do you expect him to score 50 goals or have 50 assists?

  1. I really like him and can see there is a proper get out of your seat kinda footballer in there ,but to get consistent he needs a proper run in the team ,coming on for 20 minutes here and there you can see it’s affecting him .
    I thought the Willian signing would be as him. Playing more centrally but he seems to have taken pepe place on the right Hand side of the front three .
    If we are all honest no one out of our attackers have looked good this season except saka so he shouldnt be alone in thinking he should be more consistent .
    He was involved in 17 goals last year in his first season here and that is not to shabby .

  2. There is a real talent somewhere in Pepe but it will not emerge if he is stuck out on the right wing where he is so predictable.He needs to feature on the left where his ability to cross on the run can cause defences a real problem.He has pace, energy , dribbling skills and a wand of a left foot, most of the attributes needed to be a success.He needs to improve his first touch as a means of retaining possession to link with others but no doubt Arteta and his coaching team are fully aware of his strengths and weaknesses and hopefully will be able to get him to fulfil his undoubted potential.For 72m I would have expected the finished article not a work in progress.

  3. @Dan, nice 👍 but if you say coming in as a sub won’t help him grow, the likes of Mahrez became good coming in as subs for man city,

    Sometimes I think Pépé gets carried away on the pitch, he just doesn’t make great passes, he should be played as the No 9 in some matches to gain the confidence he needs,

    I really wish we had gotten Zaha instead, we need daring players.

    Arteta needs to AMN/ Willock to pair with Partey.

    1. You have to remember that Mahrez was already lighting up the league at Leicester before his move to city .
      I agree he overthinks and doesn’t do the simple things first but I really do think there is a proper footballer in there ,let’s hope Arteta can find it .

      1. You are not alone in thinking that, I also believe there’s a good player in him, and Arteta needs to give him more time not just some 15 minutes

  4. The whole team is not balanced for maximum productivity. The people around him are not helpful. The right RB and 8 and 10 aren’t there.

    The coach should work on the above to get a team we need.

    The team can’t even allow Pepe to take free kicks around the 18 area. This his strength

  5. It should not go unnoticed that two of the goals scored yesterday were directly related to using Pepe in the middle of the pitch – rather than the right.

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