Arsenal: Mikel Arteta lays gauntlet down for Nicolas Pepe

Mikel Arteta has told Nicolas Pepe exactly what he needs to do to flourish at Arsenal. The gauntlet has been laid down. It is time for the record signing to respond.

It has not been the most positive of first seasons at Arsenal for club-record signing Nicolas Pepe. While the flashes of brilliance have led many to believe that he can still flourish at the club, they have been few and far between and their infrequency has inspired a growing number of doubters that the £72 million paid was a wise investment.

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It was never going to be easy. Many foreign players have spoken about the difficulty of adapting to Premier League football, especially if it is their first time in England, having to learn the culture, language and place as much as the different style of play. But despite these undoubted hurdles, Pepe’s performances have been underwhelming nonetheless.

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This week, head coach Mikel Arteta was asked about the struggles of Pepe, why he believes the Ivorian has failed to live up to admittedly hefty expectations, and what he and the club can do to aid their new signings adaptation into the team. Here is what he said:

"“First of all he needs the right structure behind him to be able to provide the moments of quality and winning games, whether it’s assists, goals, dribbles or whatever it is. Afterwards he needs to have a much clearer picture of the things that are happening on the pitch, why they are happening and how he can solve them. I think he’s in the process of doing that. He hasn’t played 12 or 15 games in a row, which is a massive thing for a player in those positions which are more difficult on the pitch to make an impact in games, he needs to earn that with his performances.”"

There is a lot parse out here, including a feigned shot at Unai Emery by suggesting that Pepe has not been put in advantageous positions or coached on his decision-making, which has proven to be pertinent in the Arteta era — there have been plenty of moments when Pepe has made the wrong choice, either on or off the ball, to stent attacks.

But perhaps the more telling lesson is that Arteta has put the onus on Pepe. While he says that Pepe needs ’12 or 15 games in a row’ to bed himself into the team, Arteta then says that Pepe must ‘earn that with his performances’. It is as if Arteta is shifting the responsibility of selection away from himself and onto Pepe, laying down the gauntlet and asking for a response from his potential match-winner.

Arteta wants to select Pepe on a regular basis. He sees the talent and is keen to make the most of it. But he also recognises that he has other players who can perform in the front three, players that deserve that position more. It was telling that in the 0-0 draw with Burnley, Gabriel Martinelli started and then both Joe Willock and Eddie Nketiah were introduced in the second half while Pepe sat on the bench.

Arteta wants to see the best from Pepe, and he will do his damnright best to make sure he gets it. But ultimately, it is down to Pepe to respond and deliver, and that is something that Arteta has no control over.