Pain in the Arsenal
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Arsenal vs Manchester United: 4 Talking Points From Stalemate

By Ross Kennerley

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 30: Edinson Cavani of Manchester United shakes hands with Cedric Soares of Arsenal after the Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester United at Emirates Stadium on January 30, 2021 in London, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Alastair Grant - Pool/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 30: Edinson Cavani of Manchester United shakes hands with Cedric Soares of Arsenal after the Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester United at Emirates Stadium on January 30, 2021 in London, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Alastair Grant - Pool/Getty Images) /
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Arsenal, Nicolas Pepe
LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 30: Nicolas Pepe of Arsenal (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /

Nicolas Pepe Deserves Credit

With Saka out, the Ivorian was forced to switch over to his favoured(?) right flank to allow Gabriel Martinelli to play in his best slot.

Given his exploits and the confidence he gained from the Southampton win over on the left, a drop off in performance was widely expected. Sure, his finishing was slightly off, but there was no obvious decline.

Defensively, especially in the first half, he covered Hector Bellerin superbly, both in being physical in the challenges as well as dealing with any aerial threat. His technical level was also at a better standard compared to most of the season, with his dribbling both effective and threatening.

As per midweek, he pressed rigorously – as instructed by Emile Smith Rowe – never dropping his energy levels despite his constant hounding of possession.

The situation with Pepe is a case of accepting where he is at the club. That Southampton performance is one that is seen every blue moon, sandwiched by a series of otherwise hopeles outings. Two matches in four days and he’s kept a level that offers more encouragement than witnessed all season. There are still a multitude of areas to improve, but now, where he is, the past two fixtures have to be built on and used as a springboard.

Add to that the opposition he’s faced, playing in two different positions, and there is hope.

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