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#2 Nicolas Pépé
The former Lille winger was brought to Arsenal with high hopes alongside a mega-price tag. Quite clearly, the 24-year-old has not lived up to the hype. Nicolas Pépé has not only struggled to get minutes, but he has not produced anything special in terms of goals and assists, except his 2 scintillating free-kicks against Vitória at home in the Europa League.
Why has it been so difficult for the Ivorian? Missing out on pre-season with Arsenal has majorly affected his fitness and confidence. Since the deal between Lille and Arsenal took significant time to materialise, he had to miss out on pre-season because he was on national duty.
“I would say that my start has been a bit negative. Based on my expectations of myself, I expected a bit more. I expect more and it is up to me to work hard and make the difference in each match. It is normal for people to criticise me as much as they are doing because I am not making the difference in each match. I understand them. It is certainly up to me to reverse this situation through hard work.
Pépé knows that though he has failed to impress the Gunners, his quality is undeniable and with the right mentality, he can come good. It's all about building confidence, which currently lacks, and therefore, Freddie Ljungberg has to start playing him more regularly, since despite showcasing lacklustre performances, he is Arsenal's best dribbler, creator and winger.
