Arsenal and Nicolas Pepe: The heart-fluttering excitement of two touches

Nicolas Pepe made his Arsenal debut on Sunday afternoon. In just two touches, he sent a shiver of excitement down every fans’ spine. He really could be special.

You cannot accurately determine the quality of a player in one touch. You cannot accurately determine the quality of a player in one game, or even one month, or even, for that matter, one season. Even the poor players are capable of great moments; the difference between them and the great players, however, is repeatability and consistency. Can you be great over and over again?

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However, when all you have to go off is one or two touches, it is natural to inadvertently — and extremely foolishly — extrapolate that minute sample size and presume it will apply to the rest of their careers.

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Arsenal introduced their club-record signing, Nicolas Pepe, midway through the second half of Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Newcastle United. The Ivorian completed a £72 million switch in the summer but was deemed to lack the match sharpness to start after not playing a single minute of pre-season football under Unai Emery. Given that this was his first outing in an Arsenal shirt, all eyes were inevitably and inscrutably on him. Every single touch was under the magnifying glass.

And in two seemingly simple, meaningless moments, Pepe sent a tingle down the spine, a flutter through the heart, a shiver of excitement around all those waiting for magic. They had almost no bearing on the match. Blink and you would miss them. To expect them to forecast inexorable success would be utterly naive. But such was their subtle brilliance, an eagerness and anticipation rises.

The first showcased his surprising size and strength. Receiving a loose ball on the edge of the Arsenal area, Pepe had a Newcastle defender on his back. Rather than merely laying the ball off for a hacked clearance, he looked to spin one way before turning the other, shrugging off the defender like some dirt on his shoulder.

The second was even more sensual. A low pass rolled into his feet. He looked as though he was about to play a first-time pass into the centre of the pitch. However, he stepped past the ball with his left, let it roll across his body and onto his right instead, sending three Newcastle players chasing after thin air in the process.

Was there really that much in either of these moments? Am I looking blinkered in searching for the positives just because he is the shiny new toy? Do these little pieces of play prove that he is going to be a world-class player and a bargain signing? Of course, all these doubts are relevant, but the uncontainable arousal that came from Pepe’s brief brilliance is undeniable.

I do not know if Pepe will be a good player. I do not know if he will replicate his Lille form. I do not know if he will flop. But I do know this, I am beyond excited to find out, and it is all because of two little touches.