Nicolas Pepe needs a central role to kick-start Arsenal career

Nicolas Pepe must play through the middle to improve his dire form at Arsenal.

Nicolas Pepe’s rough start to life with Arsenal was summed up by one moment during the first half of Monday’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford.

He controlled the ball outside the Gunners’ box following a United corner and turned to thread a pass toward fellow winger Bukayo Saka. The pass wasn’t inch-perfect, typical of the lack of quality Arsenal’s record signing has been guilty of so far this season.

However, luck appeared to be turning Pepe’s way when Andreas Pereira’s slip let in Saka. The 18-year-old drew a fine save from David De Gea, who also denied Matteo Guendouzi on the rebound.

Guendouzi had scampered forward from the middle to try and support the speedy Saka. Yet it was telling there was no sign of Pepe, the player in this Arsenal squad whose pace frightens defenders.

Pepe has been off the pace since he joined the Gunners from Lille for £72 million during the summer. His attempts to provide goals and assists have rarely worked out, since he only has one of the former and two of the latter to his credit.

Arsenal head coach Unai Emery has been asking too much of Pepe, demanding magic from wide areas. Pepe hasn’t conjured much from the flanks while the same trickery and close control that wowed Ligue 1 fans last season have deserted him:

Those struggles are ironically perpetuating the diminishing confidence causing them.

There is good news for Pepe and Emery, though, because the solution is obvious. Pepe simply needs to be deployed in a central role.

Playing Pepe through the middle can simplify the game for a forward struggling to adapt to the pace and physicality of England’s top flight.

Rather than having to focus on taking on defenders, Pepe would instead spend more time running through the gaps between them. His pace and direct movement would make him an obvious target for Arsenal midfielders so far struggling to get the ball forward quickly enough.

Providing Pepe with more opportunities to showcase his talent as a finisher will get him the goals to boost his confidence. A confident forward is usually a prolific one, something Emery knows his squad needs.

Getting goals hasn’t been a problem for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who equalled the exploits of a club legend after drawing the Gunners level in Manchester:

https://twitter.com/BBCMOTD/status/1178767480250146821

Even so, Emery is wary of the danger of becoming reliant on a small number of players for goals, per Nicholas Mendola of NBC Sports’ Pro Soccer Talk:

"We have young players who can take confidence. (Saka) is progressing well but we need other players too. This is not the best in terms of points but one point can be good if we win next Sunday against Bournemouth. We are very happy with (Aubameyang) and he is with his goal. We need more players with the ability to score."

Aubameyang is thriving as the lone center-forward in Emery’s system, but he’s also capable of finding the net as part of a strike duo. The 30-year-old formed a prolific partnership with Alexandre Lacazette in central areas last season.

Lacazette has been dealing with injury problems so far during this campaign. It means there is an opportunity for Pepe to move into the middle.

Shifting Pepe off the flank wouldn’t be a frivolous experiment from Emery. Pepe played there and flourished at times in a 4-4-2 formation for Lille.

Emery started two strikers during the second half of last season. He made room for them by reshaping his team in a 3-4-1-2 structure.

The same tactical shape would suit wing-backs Kieran Tierney and Hector Bellerin, both of whom returned from injury recently. Their athleticism and technique are assets going forward.

Reverting to a back three would let Emery put a third center-back into a shaky defense. Rob Holding, another returnee from the treatment room, would help shore things up.

Pepe moving alongside Aubameyang would also give Saka the chance to refine his game as the Gunners’ primary option out wide. The precocious teenager offered yet more glimpses of his tantalising potential at Old Trafford:

https://twitter.com/SkySportsStatto/status/1178789050985136139

Arsenal invested a fortune in Pepe, so the onus is on the club to put him in the best position to succeed. It means making him a center-forward and repeating a pattern of gifted and versatile wide players who made similar transitions.

Emery’s predecessor Arsene Wenger moved Thierry from the wing to the middle and later repeated the switch with Robin van Persie. Wenger even tried to unlock Gervinho’s potential by converting him to striker at the start of the 2012/13 season, briefly yielding solid returns from an ultimately frustrating player.

Giving Pepe playing time through the middle, particularly with Lacazette still out, is a single move with a host of benefits. Passing will be quicker and more direct while Pepe’s pace increases the Gunners’ potency on the break and he and Aubameyang carry out Emery’s desired pressing from the front.

Without decisive action, Emery will endure a costly wait for Arsenal’s record signing to come good.