Nicolas Pepe Assesses How He's Fared at Arsenal So Far This Season

​Nicolas Pepe believes things are getting better for him at Arsenal since Mikel Arteta's arrival, but admits there is still 'room for improvement' at his new club.

The Ivorian's mightily impressive campaign with Lille in Ligue 1 last season, in which he made 33 goal contributions in 38 league appearances, persuaded the Gunners to spend £72m on him in the summer. 

But under former boss Unai Emery, Pepe showed only flashes of what he's capable of as he tried to adapt to a new environment, while under interim boss Freddie Ljungberg, the 24-year-old barely featured and his persistent absence was reportedly linked with a poor attitude in training. 

With Arteta now in charge, the winger has been somewhat reinvigorated, starting his side's last four games and starring in Arsenal's impressive victory over Manchester United on New Year's Day - where he scored just his third Premier League goal of the season. 

Ahead of the London derby with Chelsea on Tuesday night, Pepe admitted that despite a slight upturn in form, there's still work to be done on his behalf.

“Things are definitely going better," he said, as quoted by ​Goal. “I am still learning and there is plenty of room for improvement, but in terms of understanding, things are definitely becoming easier.

“Mikel has explained exactly what he would like me to do on the pitch and shown me videos that have stressed the importance of my positioning. He’s told me what he would like me to do to help me progress as a player.”

The absence of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang due to suspension will mean that Arteta will certainly rely on the talented Ivorian in the short-term, with striker Alexandre Lacazette failing to score in over a month.

Nevertheless, there's no doubting Pepe's obvious talent and Arsenal fans will be hoping that Pep Guardiola's former assistant will be able to improve him in a similar way to how Raheem Sterling benefitted from Arteta's coaching.

Source : 90min