Arsenal forward Nicolas Pepe has explained the role Mikel Arteta played in helping him rediscover his form after a testing start with the Gunners.
The Ivorian joined during Unai Emery's reign, switching from Lille for a club-record £72m last summer. He struggled to live up to that gargantuan price-tag during the early months of his career in north London, but Pepe's performances have been on an upward trajectory since Arteta's appointment in December.
Asked how the Spaniard's arrival has impacted things at Arsenal, Pepe told the club's website: "Things have been going positively so far. We’ve got some good results and have been playing good football.
"There has certainly been some encouraging signs, and we know that we do have quality and we have what it takes to do well on the pitch.
"Arteta has explained to me what he would like me to do on the pitch, and he has shown me videos that have stressed the importance of my positioning. He has told me exactly what he would like me to do to help me progress as a player."
"We want to do well as an attacking force. We want to perform well on the pitch, score goals and get assists," Pepe added when discussing the brand of football the 37-year-old wants his side to play.
The winger has scored three times in this season's Premier League, while he has set up a teammate on two occasions. However, he stressed that Arteta is mainly focused on how Arsenal function as a collective.
"As a team, it doesn’t matter who’s getting the goals and who’s getting assists, but the important thing is we are playing well together and getting results.
"It’s great to play with these players, and it’s been working rather well. We are good with linking up with each other and we’re capable of playing good football.
"We support one another on the pitch and as an attacking player it’s always great to have someone like Mesut Özil feeding passes into you so it’s enjoyable."
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Source :
90min
