Arsenal: Where has this Nicolas Pepe disrespect come from?

Nicolas Pepe might well be enjoying his period of form since signing for Arsenal in the summer. And yet, some are calling for him to be dropped. Why?

It has not been the easiest first season at Arsenal for club-record signing Nicolas Pepe. Arriving for £72 million as the only non-Lionel Messi player to total 20-plus goals and 10-plus assists in a top-five European league, there were serious expectations placed on his shoulders. Pepe needed to deliver.

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For the most part, he has failed to live up to those admittedly hefty hope. There have been glimpses of his talent, without question. Moments in games where he displays his quality, even full 90 minutes when he takes over and his ability comes to the fore. But consistent, reliable production has been hard to come by, even if he now has six goals and eight assists in all competitions.

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Nevertheless, for all the struggles Pepe has dealt with, his recent form has improved, with the detailed instruction of new head coach Mikel Arteta beginning to take effect. He is working harder defensively, pressing higher up the pitch and tracking runners. He now moves the ball quicker, rather than slowing down the attacking play. And his positioning has improved, especially in regards to getting into the penalty area and scoring goals.

And yet, Charlie Nicholas would like him dropped from the team:

"“Will Nicolas Pepe get another run? Probably. Does he deserve it? Probably not. I would probably look at Gabriel Martinelli.”"

And a quick scroll down Twitter will tell you he is not alone.

It is a curious opinion. While there was a time that Pepe should have been dropped from the starting XI, now is very much not it. Pepe is just beginning to figure things out, and Arsenal are just beginning to provide the situations from which his talent can shine. Cutting that short would be foolish, to say the least.

Thankfully, as Arteta explained earlier this season, that will not happen. Here is what Arteta said when he was asked how he and the team can get the best out of Pepe:

"“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.”"

So yes, this has not been the best season of Pepe’s career. And yes, he has not lived up to his expectations. But he is starting to figure it out, and a man of his calibre and quality deserves patience and regular starts. Dropping him would be utterly undermining.