When football was suspended back in March, nobody at Arsenal would have been more frustrated than Nicolas Pepe.
The Ivory Coast international had a slow start to life in north London after arriving from Lille in a £72 million ($94m) deal last summer, but the early signs in 2020 were that he was starting to find his feet.
He scored in the win against Manchester United and netted again as Newcastle were brushed aside 4-0 at the Emirates. Pepe also set up two other goals against the Magpies.
Another assist followed against Everton as Arsenal’s club-record signing began to show the sort of form that had Europe’s top clubs circling last summer.
But the shutdown stopped Pepe in his tracks. The momentum he was building came to a sudden halt and now the 25-year-old has to start all over again.
To make matters worse, Pepe returned from lockdown with a slight injury issue which has left him behind most of his team-mates in terms of fitness.
That meant he was an unused substitute in Arsenal's first Premier League back after the break, against Manchester City, but he will be hoping to feature against Brighton on Saturday as the Gunners look to bounce back from their disappointing defeat at the Etihad Stadium.
For Pepe, it will be an opportunity to try and pick up where he left off in March and, for Mikel Arteta, it will be a chance to continue his bid to instil some consistency in a player who has shown flashes of brilliance in England but has yet to hit the heights of his final season in France.
“It is clear that his consistency has not been at the level that he can produce,” Arteta said ahead of the trip to the Amex Stadium. “Nico is the first one to accept that and that’s what I’m going to demand from a player of his level and calibre.
“He has to be producing every three days at the level that he can. He has to be a player that makes the difference, that is a threat, who generates fear in the opponents and gives us a big threat in the final third.”
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When Arsenal were winning titles, they had players throughout the team who would scare their opponents when they were on the ball – because of their and their ability.
But the modern-day Arsenal is different. The fear factor of the past has long gone.
What Pepe has shown so far during his short stay in north London, however, is when he does get possession, he is one of the few players in the current squad who can get teams on the back foot.
His ability to beat a man is unparalleled, as his dribble stats show. On average, he has completed 3.67 dribbles per game this season; Joe Willock is his closest rival with 2.66.
And Pepe’s delivery – both from open play and dead ball situations – is up there with the best in the league. Despite his initial struggles to adapt, he still has six league assists this season – three more than any other Arsenal player – to add to his six goals in all competitions.
So, the quality is undoubtedly there and Arteta is optimistic about his chances of drawing the best out of Pepe delivering on a regular basis.
“It’s not easy to adapt to this league but Nico’s putting in the effort and he’s willing to do it,” said Arteta. “It will come out.
“The price that we paid for him puts him in a difficult position straight away because he’s going to be compared to players of that calibre.
“But if you go through the list of top players that have come to this country and look at how disappointing they were for the first12 months, then how incredible they were for the next five years, I think we could have a massive list. “
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Arteta added: “Nico is such a nice kid, he’s trying really hard and you have to respect the timing, the way he has adapted for the first year as well.
“A lot happened to him and we have to understand that and he is willing and I’m sure we are going to get the best out of him. I’m convinced of that.”
Arsenal have nine games remaining in the Premier League this season, starting at Brighton on Saturday, as well as three potential FA Cup fixtures, should they progress to the final.
These next five weeks are hugely important for the club and, for Pepe, they represent a real opportunity to build some momentum ahead of his second full season in England.
“It’s about turning those flashes of skill into a consistent way of playing,” Arteta concluded. “His mindset has to be right all the time.
“He needs to win the game for the team. He is one of the players we have in the squad that has to take that responsibility on.”
Pepe did that on a regular basis for Lille last season as he spearheaded their charge into the Champions League, but it’s been difficult for him to replicate that sort of form for Arsenal.
However, he's now got a chance to put his frustration behind him by firing Arsenal to a top-four finish, starting on Saturday at Brighton.