Nicolas Pepe came at Arsenal in the summer after inking a deal with the Gunners worth £72million. Since then, the French winger only scored a couple of goals and has caused a lot of raised eyebrows. Recently, Thierry Henry defended Pepe's side and blamed the footballer's current struggle to the poor performance of Unai Emery's side.
Nicolas Pepe left Lille last summer and moved to Arsenal in a £72million deal but has yet to show that he is a valuable investment for the Gunners. The Ivorian has only scored a single goal in 11 Premier League appearances. However, Henry is resolute that the club's failings under the current Spanish coach have made it more difficult for the winger to succeed this season.
Henry was quoted during his interview with Yahoo Sports saying that when a player arrives that way, he always becomes the target and people will always talk about him. Pepe needs to ignore these and must go out and show what he's got, Henry adds. The Frenchman did not ask to be acquired for that sum of money himself and it is not always easy to be an outsider to the club and adopt a new culture, Henry notes.
Thierry Henry on Nicolas Pépé: 'When you arrive like that, you’re always going to be talked about, and people are always going to target you. He needs to make sure he doesn’t listen to that and go out and perform. — Z (@ZR_7G1) November 13, 2019
Henry also states that the premier league is not the same as the French League and Pepe needs to adjust and adapt to that, he needs time. Thierry Henry adds that critics love to highlight the player but underlines that if the team plays a bit better, it is possible that Nicolas Pepe would be playing a lot better. Henry also points out that it is not Pepe but Arsenal and he is looking forward that the team could improve so it could go back in the top four once again.
Arsenal coach Unai Emery recently admitted that Nicolas Pepe's adjustment to English football is slower than anticipated. Emery added that if the Frenchman wants to win his place back, he needs to take more responsibility and step up. So far, the Ivorian national is struggling to win a regular spot in Unai Emery's starting XI in the Premier League.
Arsenal fans have been very critical of Unai Emery's leadership and have long been calling for the Spanish coach's resignation. Emery is being blamed for the poor performance of the Gunners who are currently struggling to get back on top of the Premier League table.
