The recent 1-0 defeat of Arsenal to Sheffield United at Bramall Lane was a hard one for the team to accept. Critics are blaming Nicolas Pepe for missing an excellent opportunity to give the team the chance to lead. Arsenal boss Unai Emery admitted that Pepe could have cost Arsenal its most recent defeat.
According to Unai Emery, Nicolas Pepe's miss from six yards was a crucial moment as it ended the winning streak of the team. Arsenal has eight consecutive undefeated games in all competitions, and Sheffield United ended it just like that. The Blades got the 1-0 win against Arsenal when Lys Mousset scored a goal nailing another win against the team, which has never won any four Premier League matches against them.
Meanwhile, Nicolas Pepe has suffered a frustrating start of his career in England after moving from Lille and signing a £72million contract last summer for Arsenal. So far, the forward has yet to make a score for the Gunners. The team's recent defeat means that the Gunners already missed the chance to be on the third place in the league.
However, Unai Emery believes that Nicolas Pepe's miss is part of the process to improve his performance and to increase his confidence. Emery admits that Sheffield made the first goal which he interprets as a manifestation of the team's strong defense. He also claims that Nicolas Pepe is slowly improving and is getting better along the way.
The Arsenal boss is now urging Nicolas Pepe to improve in front of the goal after wasting away the golden opportunity to give the away side the lead. The Spanish coach outlines why that chance was crucial to the result. Emery admits that he felt hard done with the team's recent defeat considering that the team has more possession, more shots, and more chances.
The Gunners would have claimed the third spot in the Premier League table had they won the Monday match against Sheffield United last Monday evening. At present, Arsenal is on the fifth spot sitting a couple of points behind Leicester and Chelsea. The Gunners are scheduled for a game against Vitoria in the Europa League.
On Sunday, Unai Emery and his team will face Crystal Palace. Meanwhile, Nicolas Pepe has only scored once in his 10 appearances for the Gunners so far this season. The 24 years old footballer made that solitary strike coming from the spot when Arsenal faced Aston Villa.
