Arsenal: 5 players who failed to meet expectations

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 15: Mesut Ozil of Arsenal kicks a water bottle as he is subbed as Interim Manager of Arsenal, Freddie Ljungberg looks on during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Manchester City at Emirates Stadium on December 15, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) /

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LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 27: (BILD ZEITUNG OUT) Nicolas Pepe of Arsenal FC looks on during the UEFA Europa League round of 32 second leg match between Arsenal FC and Olympiacos FC at Emirates Stadium on February 27, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Roland Krivec/DeFodi Images via Getty Images) /

4. Nicolas Pepe

There were 72 million reasons why Nicolas Pepe was meant to set both Arsenal and the Premier League alight. Sadly, while he has not been as lacklustre as some of his more vehement critics would have you believe, the Ivorian’s first season at the club has not been the smoothest sailing.

In fact, bar a couple of moments here and there — two freekicks against Vitoria, his match-winning performance against West Ham, his destruction of Luke Shaw — Pepe has largely underwhelmed, panicking in the final third, as if feeling the pressure of his price tag, trying too much, and slowing down play or losing possession as a result.

Perhaps it is a little harsh to list a player who has four goals and six assists in his first Premier League season as someone who has underwhelmed expectations, but given his talent and price tag, the expectations were sky high, and Pepe has been little more than average.

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