Arsenal midfielder Mattéo Guendouzi was left bemused by Nicolas Pépé during a Q&A session when the Ivorian claimed he's yet to meet a defender who poses him any serious problems.
The £72m winger has collected just three goals and two assists in the Premier League since joining from Lille, with fans still waiting to see their best of their club record signing.
On occasion, he has sparkled for the Gunners, but Pépé has largely failed to live up to the the price-tag in his debut campaign.
The 24-year-old was far more prolific last term, when he scored 23 goals in all competitions for Lille, his stellar displays with the Ligue 1 side earning him a lucrative move to north London.
Pépé's performances before his time at Arsenal might explain the answer he gave during a rapid-fire Q&A with the club's YouTube channel, with Guendouzi asking him: "Who’s the toughest defender you’ve played against?"
Somewhat tongue-in-cheek, the African replied: "Honestly...nobody."
A slightly baffled Guendouzi pressed him on the matter, saying: "Honestly?"
Pépé didn't flinch, reaffirming his statement.
Without doubt, the new man has produced some excellent displays in the red of Arsenal, with his late double against Vitória Guimarães - both deadly free-kicks - in October one of the finer moments from his early days at the Emirates Stadium.
Pépé's form has been on an upward trajectory following Mikel Arteta's appointment as Gunners boss in the final weeks of 2019. The former recently credited his coach for the steady progress he has made of late.
Despite the positivity that Arteta has brought, there were some dark periods for Arsenal during the autumn. Pépé was hardly firing on all cylinders, and he would often look out of his depth in Premier League matches.
At that point in time, he seemed to struggle against most defenders he came up against.
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Source :
90min
