Arsenal: There’s no Nicolas Pepe problem… but there kind of is

Nicolas Pepe has so much time to get his bearings at Arsenal, and he definitely will, but in the meantime, while there isn’t a problem… there kind of is.

I’ll start this article about Nicolas Pepe the same way I’ve started the last handful. I love Nicolas Pepe and think he will achieve some great things here at Arsenal … but there is no denying that he isn’t just struggling. He’s kind of sucking.

Pepe was part of the problem against Manchester United. You could argue that he was the biggest problem against United too. On an individual level, he just wasn’t up to par, and it was so evident when Unai Emery subbed him off for Reiss Nelson in the 73rd minute and let Bukayo Saka on.

Skipping past that, though, it’s still such a small sample size, and there really isn’t any cause for concern. Unai Emery is a practical manager who makes the best decisions for the club. But while there is no problem in being patient with Nicolas Pepe, nor is there any overlying problem in him being a bit off the mark early on… there is another problem that I worry about, and it’s tied to Unai Emery.

Unai Emery knows he’s on a short leash. He has this year to prove himself before the very possible outcome of him being fired if the club doesn’t show clear improvement.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

Not just that, but Emery and his backroom crew broke the bank on Pepe and, in doing so, essentially committed to him paying dividends this year. Because Emery might not have a next year. That means that the sooner Pepe pays off, the better Emery can feel about this investment.

That’s where the problem comes in. Pepe can’t pay off if he’s sitting on the bench, but, like it or not, that’s where he belongs right now. He belongs on the bench letting Bukayo Saka and Alexandre Lacazette fill out the front three around Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

But even knowing this, Emery may see his fate tied to Pepe’s success and insist on the Frenchman playing through the struggles as the season goes on. Otherwise it could be chalked up as yet another “Emery failure” (if he does fail in the end). Even if Pepe does pan out down the road.

This hasn’t become a problem yet and hopefully it never will. But the situation is primed for some potential issues as the situation wears on and I’m rather curious to see what Emery decides to do.