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Paul Merson that Nicolas Pepe was ‘outstanding’ for Arsenal in their Carabao Cup victory over Sunderland on Tuesday, before urging the winger to be more consistent if he wants to regain his place in Mikel Arteta’s side.
Pepe was handed a chance to impress in the quarter-final tie. Of course, sceptics will suggest that beating a League One side tells us little about the Gunners. But several players grasped their opportunity with both hands.
Eddie Nketiah scored a brilliant hat-trick in the 5-1 win. Meanwhile, Charlie Patino came off the bench for his debut and rounded off the victory with the fifth goal. But it was also an impressive night for Pepe.
‘The left-back will be having nightmares’
The Ivorian scored Arsenal’s second goal, set up two, and gave Denver Hume a torrid evening, nutmegging him on two occasions in quick succession.
Plenty of Arsenal fans insisted that he was superb in the emphatic victory. But obviously, he still has plenty of work to do to regain a spot in the Premier League side. He has made one substitute appearance since the end of October in the top-flight.
Merson suggested that he could have done little more to prove a point against the Black Cats. But he also outlined what Pepe needs to do from here.
“This was Pepe’s nine out of 10 game,” . “I want to see next week he gets seven or eight out of 10. But today, outstanding. The left-back will probably be having nightmares. He’ll do well to sleep tonight, poor lad. But he’s come up against a £70 million player.
“He’s got to be seven or seven and a half every week, not nine [then] four. He’s got to be consistent and that’s why he’s not in the team at the moment.”
Nicolas Pepe has gone some way to pushing for fresh chance in Arsenal team
Pepe is going to need to be patient. The likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka have been outrageously good of late. But he would have regained some confidence with that showing at the Emirates.
Certainly, it would now be much less of a surprise if Arteta turns to Pepe in an upcoming Premier League game.