Mikel Arteta has singled out formerly sidelined winger Nicolas Pepe as one to watch for the rest of the campaign ahead of the Gunners’ clash with Brentford.
Arsenal take on the Bees at The Emirates Stadium on the beginning of a favourable run of fixtures which could prove critical to their hopes of finishing in the top 4 and bringing Champions League football back to the red half of north London.
And Pepe could yet prove crucial, should he be able to replicate his brilliant end to last season. It is something that the Spanish boss backs him to do, saying he has seen a major difference in the Ivorian since he returned from the Africa Cup of Nations, where he excelled for the Ivory Coast.
‘Nicolas Pepe seems different now’, he told the media. His attitude, his smile, the way he is communicating with everybody, his energy. The way he has trained. His efficiency in training, his application’
Mikel Arteta: “Nicolas Pepe seems different now. His attitude, his smile, the way he is communicating with everybody, his energy. The way he has trained. His efficiency in training, his application”. ⚪️🔴 #AFC
“I don’t know what it is. I think he felt important again”. pic.twitter.com/VoRCfTu1kG
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 19, 2022
Just how important could Nicolas Pepe be for Arsenal?
Pepe has hardly featured for Arsenal this campaign, having played just 24 minutes of Premier League football since his side’s 2-0 win over Leicester at the end of October.
But, in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s absence, he is Arsenal’s most direct goal threat when on the pitch. Currently, Emile Smith-Rowe sits atop the Gunners goalscoring charts with 8, but the Gunners know that more goals are needed if they want to secure a spot in the top 4, with forward Alexandre Lacazette having scored just two from open play.
And, for all his faults, Pepe does provide goals.
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Should he be able to find any sort of form in the run in, he could be a crucial part of Mikel Arteta’s side.
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Premier League table
| # | Team | MP | D | P |
| 1 | Manchester City | 25 | 47 | 63 |
| 2 | Liverpool FC | 24 | 42 | 54 |
| 3 | Chelsea FC | 24 | 30 | 47 |
| 4 | Manchester United | 25 | 8 | 43 |
| 5 | West Ham United | 25 | 11 | 41 |
| 6 | Arsenal FC | 22 | 9 | 39 |
| 7 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 23 | 4 | 37 |
| 8 | Tottenham Hotspur | 22 | -1 | 36 |
| 9 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 24 | 0 | 33 |
| 10 | Southampton FC | 24 | -7 | 29 |
| 11 | Leicester City | 22 | -5 | 27 |
| 12 | Aston Villa | 23 | -5 | 27 |
| 13 | Crystal Palace | 24 | -3 | 26 |
| 14 | Brentford FC | 25 | -14 | 24 |
| 15 | Leeds United | 23 | -19 | 23 |
| 16 | Everton FC | 22 | -10 | 22 |
| 17 | Newcastle United | 23 | -19 | 21 |
| 18 | Norwich City | 24 | -36 | 17 |
| 19 | Watford FC | 23 | -20 | 15 |
| 20 | Burnley FC | 21 | -12 | 14 |
| Player | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 16 |
| Jota, Diogo | Liverpool FC | 12 |
| Sterling, Raheem | Manchester City | 10 |
| Ronaldo, Cristiano | Manchester United | 9 |
| Son, Heung Min | Tottenham Hotspur | 9 |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City | 9 |
| Bowen, Jarrod | West Ham United | 8 |
| Antonio, Michail | West Ham United | 8 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 8 |
| Dennis, Emmanuel | Watford FC | 8 |
| Maupay, Neal | Brighton & Hove Albion | 8 |
| Smith-Rowe, Emile | Arsenal FC | 8 |
| Raphinha | Leeds United | 8 |
| Mane, Sadio | Liverpool FC | 8 |
| Mount, Mason | Chelsea FC | 7 |
| Mahrez, Riyad | Manchester City | 7 |
| Gallagher, Conor | Crystal Palace | 7 |
| De Bruyne, Kevin | Manchester City | 7 |
| Silva, Bernardo | Manchester City | 7 |
| Ward Prowse, James | Southampton FC | 6 |
| Player | Team | Red Cards | Yellow Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dennis, Emmanuel | Watford FC | 0 | 7 |
| Neves, Ruben | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 0 | 8 |
| Salisu, Mohammed | Southampton FC | 0 | 7 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 0 | 7 |
| Rice, Declan | West Ham United | 0 | 7 |
| Mctominay, Scott | Manchester United | 0 | 7 |
| Maguire, Harry | Manchester United | 0 | 6 |
| Gallagher, Conor | Crystal Palace | 0 | 6 |
| Pogba, Paul | Manchester United | 1 | 5 |
| McGinn, John | Aston Villa | 0 | 6 |
| Canos, Sergi | Brentford FC | 0 | 6 |
| Westwood, Ashley | Burnley FC | 0 | 6 |
| Alonso, Marcos | Chelsea FC | 0 | 6 |
| Moreno, Rodrigo | Leeds United | 0 | 6 |
| Norgaard, Christian | Brentford FC | 0 | 6 |
| Tarkowski, James | Burnley FC | 0 | 6 |
| Laporte, Aymeric | Manchester City | 1 | 5 |
| Shelvey, Jonjo | Newcastle United | 0 | 5 |
| Shaw, Luke | Manchester United | 0 | 6 |
| Mings, Tyrone | Aston Villa | 0 | 6 |
| Player | Team | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| Alexander-Arnold, Trent | Liverpool FC | 10 |
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 9 |
| Bowen, Jarrod | West Ham United | 8 |
| Pogba, Paul | Manchester United | 8 |
| Robertson, Andy | Liverpool FC | 8 |
| Jesus, Gabriel | Manchester City | 7 |
| Mount, Mason | Chelsea FC | 6 |
| Cancelo, Joao | Manchester City | 6 |
| Antonio, Michail | West Ham United | 5 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 5 |
| Dennis, Emmanuel | Watford FC | 5 |
| James, Reece | Chelsea FC | 5 |
| Kovacic, Mateo | Chelsea FC | 5 |
| Barnes, Harvey | Leicester City | 5 |
| Redmond, Nathan | Southampton FC | 5 |
| Mahrez, Riyad | Manchester City | 4 |
| Ward Prowse, James | Southampton FC | 4 |
| Saka, Bukayo | Arsenal FC | 4 |
| Benrahma, Said | West Ham United | 4 |
| Lacazette, Alexandre | Arsenal FC | 4 |
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