Top Ten African Gunners – Number 9

Whisper it quietly, but Nicolas Pepe’s statistics as a Gunner are not as poor as some would have supporters believe. In 112 fixtures, the Ivorian recorded 27 goals and 21 assists.

Expectations and Pressure

The real issue was his massive price tag, a weight around his neck that clearly affected him mentally. Since reflecting on his experience in England, the 30-year-old has used strong words to describe how he felt, saying, as quoted by Football London, ‘I was bullied in London. It was a kind of trauma; my passion had been taken away. I had an aversion to football and thought about quitting.’ He had already proved at Lille that he possessed genuine talent, and he is certainly not the first player to excel in a smaller environment only to struggle when thrust into a far bigger one.

Unfortunately, he arrived at the Emirates at a moment when Gooners were running out of patience and were not inclined to offer gentle reassurance. They needed a hero, and many assumed that a record signing at the time might be that figure. It soon became clear that he did not have the personality to be the main man. Aubameyang and Lacazette formed a close partnership that dominated the dressing room, and Mikel Arteta often became accustomed to distancing himself from individuals who did not fully fit his ethos.

Missed Opportunities

A rookie manager perhaps needed guidance that part of his responsibility was to maximise the resources he inherited. Pepe required careful one-to-one coaching, yet he became another player sent out on loan to reduce the wage bill before eventually seeing his contract terminated. At the very least, his pace might have offered a more effective option than a Reiss Nelson or an Eddie Nketiah.

It remains worth stressing that Arsenal have lifted 14 FA Cups in their history, and Pepe contributed to one of them, assisting the winner in the most recent final the club played in. No one can take that achievement away from him, nor the AFCON he won on home soil. Yet he has not been selected for the next edition.

Compared to the opportunities granted to others, it is fair to wonder whether Arsenal gave up on Pepe too soon.

Dan  Smith