Arsenal: This is exactly what we bought Nicolas Pepe to do

Mere weeks ago, Nicolas Pepe was a flop. Now he may be Arsenal’s only hope. This is exactly what we broke records to bring him here for.

I love being proven right, and I know that there are so many others out there who made the same call who are probably enjoying it just as much. Arsenal fans are not big on patience. They demand immediate results and, if they don’t get it, they demand immediate change. Which didn’t jive well with Nicolas Pepe‘s starts at the Emirates.

Pepe had about three months under his belt before the outcry started. Suddenly, he was a flop, he was worthless, he was a waste of money, he should be benched. Weeks after that, he finds himself as our second highest goal producer on the club between the Prem and the Europa League.

While Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang has 13 goals and one assist between the two top competitions, Pepe isn’t far behind, with four goals and five assists. He’s also brought home several man of the match performances over his last few starts, something that Aubameyang definitely can’t say.

Which has me wanting to reaffirm that while you may not have noticed, Pepe is currently in the throes of giving us exactly what we brought him in to give us. He’s producing goals, both scoring and creating and, my favorite, he’s not quitting.

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How many matches in a row now has Pepe appeared to be the only guy putting in the effort on the attack? Even Alexandre Lacazette has been struggling to stay on top of his performances, and his goal production reflects that.

I won’t dally too long on Mesut Ozil and Aubameyang, suffice to say they aren’t the people you call on when you need attacking help.

You call on Nicolas Pepe.

Pepe is far and away the best dribbler on the team and, don’t look now, but he’s creating the most chances among active starters as well. So let me say again—isn’t this exactly what we brought him in to do? I’d answer that in the affirmative. While I won’t call it money well spent just yet, I will say that if he keeps this up, we will be furtively affirming that at the end of the year.

Double digit goal production, that was the incredibly realistic end product we should have been asking for from Pepe this season. He is well on pace for that, and potentially in multiple competitions as well. Money. Well. Spent.