NICOLAS PEPE needed just six minutes to stamp his influence on Arsenal’s 2-1 home win against Sheffield United.
Many Gunners fans would have probably preferred to see Alexandre Lacazette being called to replace rookie striker Eddie Nketiah 58 minutes in.
But Mikel Arteta decided to introduce the £72million club-record signing from Lille into the fray.
It meant a change in position for captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who went up top, with Pepe out on the right.
He watched as Bukayo Saka, playing on the other flank, fired Arsenal ahead.
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But the 25-year-old decieded to get in on the act, and burst forward to easily outpace the full-back and slam past Aaron Ramsdale to make it 2-0.
While the Ivory Coast winger should take some praise for the finish, so should the bloke who set him up.
And Hector Bellerin had only two minutes earlier assisted Saka to give Arsenal the lead.
Bellerin has been linked with a move to Barcelona – but Gooners, and Pepe, should pray he sticks it out at the Emirates.
His raiding runs down the right are something Cedric can’t replicate.
But more than that, he can be the one to finally help Pepe reach his potential in North London.
It was a beautiful ball through from Bellerin that actually gave Pepe the chance to show his pace by running onto the ball.
If a player is low on confidence, dribbling at opponents and losing the ball isn’t going to help raise that.
But you can’t really get running wrong, once Pepe was clear of Enda Stevens he just had to concentrate on getting his shot away.
And he perfected that, firing low across Ramsdale.
An on-song Pepe with Bellerin acting as the petrol in his engine can help Arsenal into a new dynamic up front.
Willian and Saka alternated between the No10 role behind Aubameyang, with Pepe raiding down the right.
Admittedly Sheffield United did manage to score a consolation late on, but Arsenal fans will have been full of promise of a potential ‘we’ll score more than you’ ethos.
And the best advice for Pepe? Take Bellerin to your house tonight and lock him up until Monday’s transfer deadline passes.
