‘Unplayable’, ‘finally arrived’: Some Arsenal fans praise £140,000-a-week star after Brighton win – originally posted on Sportslens.com
A selection of Arsenal fans were delighted with the performance of Nicolas Pepe in the 2-0 Premier League triumph over Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.
Pepe has been one of the Gunners’ bright spots during the back end of the season, and he ended the campaign with five goals in his last three league appearances.
That included back-to-back braces against Crystal Palace and Brighton, but it was not sufficient to deliver European football for the Gunners.
Despite this, a number of the club’s supporters were delighted for the winger, and believe the 25-year-old could a player to watch out for next season.
Here are some of the reactions on Twitter.
If Nicolas Pepe continues with this form, he will be unplayable next season.
— No Cap Arsenal (@NoCapArsenal) May 23, 2021
Fantastic performance yet again Pepe. Keep it up bro x
— DelboyAFC (@delmo_del) May 23, 2021
Nicolas Pepe next season is going to be a menace. The league ain’t ready. pic.twitter.com/UQH8PDv9Ao
— GoonerTues (@GoonerTues) May 23, 2021
Nicolas Pepe has finally arrived.
— Đ₳VłĐ ĐɆł₦ ₣₵
(@David_Dein_FC) May 23, 2021
Pepe has a fantastic instinct in the final third. If we got him inside the box a lot more, rather than benching him or freezing him out wide, he’d have gotten us Europe.@Arsenal
— Saurav (@IngGooner) May 23, 2021
The £140,000-a-week star finished the season with a tally of 16 goals and five assists from 47 appearances for the north London club.
This is an impressive tally for a winger, but much more is expected from the Ivorian, who cost a club-record fee of more than £70 million.
Pepe hardly started for the Gunners during the first half of the season with summer signing Willian getting the regular nod over him.
However, he was picked more regularly by Mikel Arteta from January, and he has shown that he can deliver with consistent game time.
He ended the league campaign on a high note by reaching double figures (10). It remains to be seen whether he can carry over the form next term.
With Pepe’s tally, the Gunners had three players (Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette) scoring at least 10 goals in the league for the first time since 2016/17.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
Read: 27-year-old Arsenal star set to leave the club this summer.