Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has said that he has seen a big improvement in Nicolas Pepe’s game, on the club’s official website.
Pepe has started down the left for Arsenal recently, with Pierre Emerick Aubameyang out injured.
And the decision seems to have sparked the Ivorian into life in recent weeks.
Pepe has suddenly gone from a player who was often on the periphery of matches to one who is central to Arsenal’s attacking play.
Pepe scored a brilliant goal in Arsenal’s last outing against Wolves, which means he has now hit the back of the net twice in his last three outings.
And Arteta admits that the 25-year-old has progressed a lot recently, as he kept working hard after being taken out of the team.
“Even when we made decisions not to play him, he kept working hard. He has improved in a lot of areas and has been much more consistent for 90 minutes,” Arteta said.
“He’s a threat at the moment because he’s been scoring goals, he’s been assisting players, he’s been a real threat. He needs to continue doing that.”
Arteta has previously been fairly critical of Pepe during his time as Arsenal manager, so the winger is sure to be delighted with his manager’s words this time around.
Arteta hinted in the same press conference that Pepe may well keep his place even with Aubameyang available now, ahead of Arsenal’s game against Aston Villa this weekend, which is testament to just how well the club’s record signing has been playing of late.
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