£52m Arsenal star is becoming more and more like Nicolas Pepe by the game
With games coming thick and fast over a frantic December period, it’s perhaps unsurprising that Arsenal’s performances have dwindled somewhat.
There was a week in which the Gunners scored a collective seven goals against Spurs and Bayern Munich but more recent displays have lacked the same firepower.
They lost to Aston Villa a few weeks ago and besides the 3-0 win over Brugge, have failed to score more than two goals across wins over Wolves, Everton and Crystal Palace.
That said, Mikel Arteta’s men have still only lost one game since August. They’re flying and well in the driver’s seat to win the Premier League title next May.
A big part of that has been due to the transfer business that Arteta and Andrea Berta have completed. It differs considerably from the days of Unai Emery. The current crop may have the Spaniard to thank for bringing William Saliba to the Emirates Stadium but beyond that, things were a bit of a disaster in the market.
Nicolas Pepe is proof of that.
What went wrong for Nicolas Pepe at Arsenal
Back in the summer of 2019 Arsenal decided to break their transfer record on a marquee addition.
They paid a colossal £72m to bring Lille winger Pepe to the Emirates. Remarkably, six years on, he is still the second biggest addition in the club’s history.
However, while the new record signing in Declan Rice has gone from strength to strength, Pepe flopped in Arsenal colours and is still remembered as a total disaster in north London.
It’s a peculiar tale, really. The Ivorian arrived in England off the back of a stunning season in France. He netted 22 goals across the 2018/19 campaign but never replicated that after his mega-money move.
It says it all that Emery didn’t even want him. Detailing the saga a few years ago, the former Arsenal boss commented: “Pepe is a good player but he needs time. When I was there he didn’t give me the performances. I was in favour of someone coming who knew the English league, more than anything so that he wouldn’t need a period of adaptation.”
Revealing who he wanted instead, the now Aston Villa manager said: “I had a meeting with Zaha. He was the player I wanted because I could see that he won so many games on his own. I saw 20 Zaha games, some incredible performances and I told them that this is the player that I want for this team. I spoke to Zaha. I had been with him personally. And he wanted to come.”
Alas, Arsenal were stuck with Pepe and while he flirted with delivering some strong performances, scoring 16 goals in 2020/21, he was more known for injuries and a lack of end product.
The fact he only found the net 11 times across his final two campaigns in red and white said it all.
Arsenal’s transfer business since then has been a lot more impressive but might a new Pepe be emerging during the Berta and Arteta era?
Arsenal's new Nicolas Pepe
Everything about the Pepe move was a nightmare, not least because they paid over £70m, but because they ultimately ended up seeing him leave on a free transfer.
From a financial point of view, it was a mess. He will go down as one of the biggest flops in Premier League history.
It’s too early to judge any of Berta’s signings in that light but it does feel as though Arsenal may have wasted a bit of cash during their huge summer of spending.
Viktor Gyokeres may well have scored against Everton last weekend but he has still only bagged seven times since arriving from Sporting in the summer.
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That said, he’s arguably had a better time of it at Arsenal than Noni Madueke. Signed for a whopping £52m, including add-ons from Chelsea, many questioned and many protested the signing.
In the early stages of his career with the club, he proved people wrong. Bukayo Saka endured a period on the sidelines and Madueke certainly came into his own.
He notably caught the eye during starts against Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. The 3-0 win over Forest was a particular highlight, completing five dribbles and supplying five key passes. It was a Saka-esque performance from a player who was signed to deliver exactly that. He is here to ensure Saka isn’t missed when he’s injured.
To his credit, Madueke has been impressive in spurts. His first goal against Club Brugge in the Champions League a few weeks ago was a spectacular strike from range. Meanwhile, his goal against Bayern Munich – his first for Arsenal – was rather timely.
The Gunners needed an extra spark to get over the line and he delivered. Saka was surprisingly brought off but Madueke stepped up to the plate by scoring at the back post from Riccardo Calafiori’s cross.
However, like Pepe, he’s struggled for end product. This is a player who is still yet to score a goal or assist one in the Premier League this season.
Meanwhile, his performance against Crystal Palace on Tuesday in the Carabao Cup was particularly wasteful, spurning two OPTA-defined ‘big chances’.
Madueke vs Crystal Palace
Minutes played
67
Touches
41
Accurate passes
14/21 (67%)
Successful dribbles
1/1
Possession lost
14x
Shots
5
Shots on target
3
Big chances missed
2
Duels won
1/4
Stats via Sofascore.
One came in the 22nd minute when Gabriel Martinelli lofted the ball over the defence into Madueke. Rather than shooting first time, he decided to take the ball down and then fire an effort at goal. From a few yards out he hit it straight at the keeper.
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It felt like Madueke had countless opportunities in that first half, striking another effort straight at the Palace ‘keeper towards the end of the opening 45 minutes.
You sense that Saka, even though he is not prolific himself, would have found the net from at least one of those opportunities.
Madueke, on the other hand, continues to produce inconsistent displays. Like Pepe, he’s got a moment of magic in him. That goal against Brugge said it all. Pepe also had that in his locker. Remember that free-kick in the Europa League?
There are more parallels beyond that. Their playstyle is also similar. Left footed right wingers, they enjoy cutting inside to influence play from central zones. Their dribbling style is also similar, and they both sadly have a lack of end product to boot.
Madueke, perhaps, in that regard, is even worse. Pepe did, at least, have that barnstorming campaign with Lille to shout about.
While the former Chelsea man thankfully did not cost quite as much as the Ivory Coast international, there are some worrying similarities.
Madueke has been tipped to explode under Arteta and Kai Havertz is evidence that we must not write off a player too soon. We hope he will still come good.
For now, however, the Pepe comparisons will stick until he produces end product on a consistent basis.
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