Nicolas Pepe might not be impressing for Arsenal this season, but the winger bagged a crucial goal for Ivory Coast this international break.
The £72m Unai Emery signing opened the scoring for the west African side as Pepe found the net in the opening two minutes as the Ivory Coast secured a 2-1 win over Malawi.
A Franck Kessie penalty wrapped up the result. The Ivory Coast now sit just a point above Cameroon in their qualification group for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Indeed, Pepe has been a key player for the Ivory Coast over the past three years. And his goal against Malawi could go a long way in the Elephants booking their ticket to Qatar.
Despite impressing on the international stage, Pepe has struggled this season for Arsenal. The winger has only managed on goal for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Moreover, that goal from the Ivory Coast side came in a 6-0 win against West Brom in the League Cup, with Pepe yet to score in the Premier League this season.
Arsenal fans stunned over Pepe goal for the Ivory Coast
With Pepe having a poor season for Arsenal, it is no surprise that fans on social media were stunned that the attacker bagged a crucial goal for Ivory Coast over this international break.
Here’s what some Arsenal supporters had to say on Twitter about Pepe’s important strike…
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