Does anyone still remember Nicolas Pepe?

Arsenal's former blockbuster signing is rediscovering his glory days, shining in a Villarreal shirt in the second round of Champions League classification matches.

Pepe's performance is proof of a strong comeback after a not-so-successful period at Arsenal.

In the early hours of October 2nd, Pepe was voted Man of the Match in Villarreal's 2-2 draw against Juventus. The 30-year-old striker delivered an outstanding performance against Juventus, making a significant contribution to the Spanish team's positive result.

According to statistics from Opta , in the Champions League matches played on the morning of October 2nd, Pepe was the only player to win 10 duels and create 5 or more scoring opportunities.

The Villarreal forward led the pack with 10 successful duels, 9 ball recoveries, 6 goal-scoring opportunities, 3 successful dribbles, and 3 interceptions.

Not stopping there, he also assisted the opening goal, giving Villarreal the advantage. With this impressive performance, Pepe was honored as the Man of the Match in the Villarreal vs. Juventus game.

Villarreal is giving Pepe a chance to revive his career.

Not only has Pepe shone in European competitions, but he has also played well since the start of the season in La Liga. He was voted La Liga Player of the Month for August. This is the first time a Villarreal player has received this award since Nicolas Jackson in May 2023.

Since the start of the season, the former Arsenal star has impressed with 2 goals and 2 assists in 7 appearances for the "Yellow Submarine" in La Liga. The Ivorian striker seems to have overcome the "ghost" of failure at Arsenal.

With a transfer fee of £72 million (€80 million), Pepe became the most expensive player in Arsenal's history when they signed him from Lille in the summer of 2019.

That was a huge sum, enough to become a burden on Pepe's shoulders. At Emirates, he was labeled a "flop" and forced Arsenal to terminate his contract early. And now, Pepe is on the path to a resurgence at Villarreal.

Source: https://znews.vn/con-ai-nho-nicolas-pepe-post1590012.html