Arsenal: Nicolas Pepe problem speculation, but not unfounded

Nicolas Pepe was dropped for Arsenal’s 0-0 draw with Burnley at the weekend. That is now three managers that have encountered a problem. It is pure speculation to suggest what that problem is, but there is something there.

When you sign a player for £72 million, there is an immediate and significant weight of expectation placed upon their shoulders. That is even more pertinent for a player that the whole of Europe was chasing and who broke your club transfer record to solve a severe position of need. Yes, there was a lot expected of Nicolas Pepe when he arrived at Arsenal.

Listen to the latest episode of the Pain In The Arsenal Podcast here!—The Rebuild 2.0

While Pepe has displayed his natural ability at times during his first year at the club, it would be fair to say that he has failed to meet the admittedly haughty expectations. He is a talented footballer, but he has not produced at the level a £72 million attacker should.

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

Why he has struggled in his first year at the club is difficult to parse. Under Unai Emery, he was slotted into an underperforming team that shackled his impact and creativity. Then Freddie Ljungberg was a caretaker manager who leaned towards the young players in the squad. And now Mikel Arteta is casting his own doubts regarding Pepe with his management of the Ivorian.

Pepe had started six games in succession and was seemingly beginning to make the right-wing position his own. But he was dropped from the starting XI in Sunday’s 0-0 draw with Burnley and then stayed on the bench as Arteta turned to two 20-year-olds in hope of snatching a late winner in the second half. That is now three different managers that have failed to get the best out of Pepe and ultimately ended up believing that the team was better off without him. That is concerning.

Quite what the motivations are for three different managers to all come to the same conclusion is difficult to say. In fact, it is pure speculation. But as Ian Wright explained on BBC Radio 5 Live on Monday night, it is a concerning trend, to say the least:

"“I don’t want to move him on, I want him to understand what he means and what he was bought for. When I watch him I’m not seeing drive and energy and desire. Three managers have benched him. One left him out when we needed a goal, there’s got to be something they’re not seeing. I’m not seeing enough movement from him, not seeing enough hunger from him to want to make something happen and he needs to start doing that because questions are starting to be asked.”"

Is his attitude not quite what the managers desire? Is his production on the pitch now an issue? What about his movement off the ball, especially in regards to getting into the penalty to score goals? Concluding what the problems are between Pepe and the three managers is pure speculation, but that it has now happened on three different occasions is reason enough to be concerned.

We may not know the motivations behind Arteta dropping Pepe, but we do know that there is some form of problem, and it is up to Pepe to solve it.