Nico Pépé Time

After looking at the busy transfer period before the 2021/2022 season, even though it is early, we can count on a good amount of transfer busts across the Premier League from Romelu Lukaku, Jack Grealish, Jadon Sancho, Emi Buendia, etc. Despite Arsenal’s successful transfer window this season with Ben White, Tomiyasu, Ramsdale all playing a pivotal role in Arsenal’s place in the standings at the moment, it is fair to say our most expensive transfer of all time Nicolas Pépé can be deemed a “bust” as well. It might be harsh to say that for someone who scored 10 league goals last season (16 goals in all comps) and had double digit goal contributions the year before, but for the price tag we spent to get him, he should be contributing more, fighting for team of the season honors etc. With that being said, our run-in to finish the season in Top 4 with our lack of depth could be Nico Pépé’s make it or break it time with Arsenal, as his contributions or lackthereof could be the reason why we are playing on Tuesdays/Wednesdays next season or Thursdays (kill me immediatley if this is the case). Here are the reasons why this is the case (why Nico is important, not why Europa League makes me not want to live):

Useful right foot: As magical of a left foot and stroke he has, what alarmed me in his debut season with us was how reluctant he was in using his right foot, making him very easy to defend that initial season. What I think greatly improved his goal-scoring output last season through goals/assists last season was becoming more unpredictable with the threat of this right foot. My favorite goal last season was Wolves away when he absolutely destroyed Semedo and Neves while finishing off with a powerful right footed shot as shown below:

The goal above is a work of art from start to finish as Pépé is isolated on the left and proceeds to power past Semedo and Neves before burying the ball with his weak foot. The confidence he showed by taking on both players before finishing with his right foot is something that was largely missing in his debut season but even more so it shows that he can play on the left-wing with the option of his right-foot being a threat. Pépé also using his right foot can also be utilized to set up other players as shown below in a game against West Ham last season:

Here Pépé is played through by Ødegaard on his right foot and instead of cutting it back to his left foot, he lofts a perfect cross to Lacazette on the back post and to complete a 3 goal comeback. With someone with a natural ability like that of Pépé, there is no reason he shouldn’t be taking on players for fun with the threat of using both feet with absolute ease. Below the next goal is Pépé timing a run to perfection to finish the ball with a right-footed volley:

Natural goal-scoring ability: Everyone is talking about our lack of goal-scoring threat from our center forwards on the roster, which is definitely the case. However, we do have a player that has scored 20+ goals in Top 5 league in a season and doesn’t start for us. Despite what you think about Pépé, he nabbed 10 league goals last season and finished the season strongly to only start this season off nowhere near Mikel’s plans. Which is justified, given our strong position in the PL standings, but at this point of the season, every goal count will count for a young inexperienced team like Arsenal who doesn’t have a reliable goal scoring threat leading our line. Relying on youngsters such as ESR, Saka, Ødegaard, and Martinelli to carry us to the Champions League places isn’t feasible. The issue with Nico is when he gets the ball on the right is he finds himself stagnating our play and his efforts usually leave other teams unpunished, it’s the few time when things come off for him, it’s undeniably world class. Pépé when in-form can find himself in multitude of goal scoring opportunities, cutting in on his left, well timed runs in the box, combining with teammates, use of his body etc.

The one that comes the most natural for a player like Nico is running at players and wrapping his left foot around the ball for goal such as the ones shown below:

Nico also is productive on timed runs into the box to finish off passages of play such as the goal shown against Crystal Palace in the previous section and shown below:

With playmakers such as ESR, Saka, and Ødegaard running our forward line, the threat of someone timing runs into the box to finish off plays is a threat we can use but also something that Nico is more than capable of providing to a team like Arsenal with our multitude of young playmakers.

With a natural dribbler like Pépé, he uses his body to his advantage, especially in the 18-yard box, giving defenders the choice of fouling him and conceding a penalty or hope the goalkeeper makes the save. Pépé maneuvering through defenders with his body in the box can be shown below:

Nico Pépé’s use of his body in those tight areas full of defenders is a threat Arsenal can use in those tight areas to create penalties or goals. Nico just needs the game time and confidence to show Mikel. Above, I also discussed to great lengths that he can actually use his right foot for something other than running which is also something Nico has in his locker that I think we will need to get to Top 4 this season. Combine that with his ability to connect with teammates as seen in both goals against Wolves this past week, it’s time for Mikel to put the faith in Nico to finish off the season.

Lack of depth – Whether Mikel wants to or not, he needs to give Nico a chance during these games in the next few months. It isn’t feasible that Gabriel Martinelli, Ødegaard, Saka, and ESR carry the bulk of our goal-scoring these next few months. Pépé offers a different dimension to our attack when in-form and should be utilized to break down teams in low blocks. Mikel stated that Nico came back from AFCON (which he starred for the Ivory Coast) as a different player but he has to show it. It is obvious that Mikel doesn’t see Pépé long-term as an Arsenal player but if anything if he wants to move on from him, he needs to at least give him the game time to up his value in the transfer market so we can get something of value to offset the cost we used to get him to North London. Besides upping his value in the transfer market, if any of the 4 of ESR, Saka, Ødegaard, and Martinelli go down, Pépé is the only reasonable replacement we have for those forward positions if you think about it outside of the Academy products. That is how thin we are, which if you think about it, is pretty suicidal from the Arsenal point of view but just calls out for the massive transfer window Arsenal will be going through this summer. Regardless, I have always been way higher on Nico than Arteta has. He just offers too much going forward to be used the way he has been and can be the difference on us making Top 4 or not making it. Mikel just needs to show the faith in him.

Featured Image Credits: Getty

Image Credits: NBC Sports, Arsenal