Arteta says Pepe’s performance against Wolves was his best in an Arsenal shirt

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said Nicolas Pepe’s performance in the Gunners’ 2-1 defeat to Wolves in the Premier League at Molineux on Tuesday was his best display since moving to North London, according to football.london.

The Ivorian attacker has scored three goals in his last four Premier League starts and found the back of the net in outstanding fashion against Nuno Espirito Santo’s side. He has been one of Arsenal’s most impressive players over the last few weeks and it looks like he will keep his place in the side. Earlier in the season, Pepe’s substandard performances saw him drop out of the starting eleven but he has worked his way back into the team.

This season, he has scored seven goals and provided three assists in 26 appearances across all competitions. He is currently playing on the left side of the attack and looks set to keep Aubameyang out of the side.

Arteta insisted that the player requires guidance in order to perform at a good level and must continue to deliver performances like the one against Wolves on a consistent basis. On Pepe, he said:

“If you ask me personally what I think about his overall performances in all the phases of the game I think this is the best he’s played. His contributions to those aspects is the best he’s done and he needs to sustain that. When you have momentum in football you cannot lose it and in order to do that you have to keep the basics right and keep doing what you’re doing, if not you know somebody is going to be knocking on your door.”

On how much guidance the former Lille attacker requires from Arteta, he said:

“I don’t know how much he wants but he needs guidance and clarity in what he wants to do. Then he needs the discipline on the pitch to do what he wants to do and obviously he needs the freedom in certain moments to express himself as a player and you can’t restrict that for sure.”