Nicolas Pepe, a former Arsenal winger, has scored his first goal for Trabzonspor in Turkey, and he did so in spectacular fashion.
Pepe was not in the squad for his new club’s first four games after leaving Arsenal as he worked on his fitness.
The 28-year-old was deemed ready for his first Trabzonspor start after two substitute appearances and 28 minutes of game time.
The occasion was a difficult away trip to Besiktas, but it did not prove beyond Pepe.
And, with Trabzonspor already two goals up, Pepe finished neatly in the 47th minute to make it 3-0.
Pepe was then substituted in the 62nd minute, which was understandable given that he is still working his way back to peak condition.
Trabzonspor’s brilliant victory was widely celebrated on X, and Arsenal fans will undoubtedly be relieved to see Pepe enjoying his football once more.
The Turkish team did post a photo of Pepe celebrating his goal with the caption: ‘He is a star: Nicolas Pepe’.
Pepe has joined Trabzonspor after leaving Arsenal.
Of course, many Arsenal fans will not be surprised to see their £72 million signing doing well in Turkey.
A player with so much talent who just couldn’t find his groove at Arsenal.
Pepe, like yesterday for Trabzonspor, had some brilliant moments at Arsenal, some of which came under Mikel Arteta.
However, it appeared that Arteta did not see ‘phenomenal’ Pepe as a part of Arsenal’s future.
And, while it’s speculative, Arsenal could have benefited from a player with Pepe’s attacking ability against Newcastle United yesterday.
Arsenal lacked creativity, despite Declan Rice’s excellent efforts to propel his team forward.
And, while Mikel Arteta was probably right to be upset with the officials after the game, he will also be concerned about his team’s performance.
Martin Odegaard was missed by Arsenal, despite his recent poor form.
And Wednesday’s match against Sevilla now appears to be an excellent opportunity to put on a confident and exciting performance.
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