Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has called on Nicolas Pepe to show greater consistency despite a solid performance in the club’s 4-1 win over Molde in the Europa League on Thursday.
Despite the Gunners going behind in the 22nd minute, Arteta’s side rallied with Pepe scoring their third goal before setting up Joe Willock for their final effort late in the game.
Pepe now has three goals from 11 appearances for Arsenal this season, and like in his debut campaign, has shown patches of brilliance.
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Asked what Pepe needs to do to start for the Gunners in the Premier League again, Arteta declared his star attacker needs to perform more solidly in every aspect of his game.
“Consistency throughout the game, throughout 90 minutes in every ball, in every action and every time he is on the ball in the final third to make a difference and do it more and more and more,” Arteta said in his post-match press conference.
“The final product has to be better, not just from him, if we want to become a top, top team and score many more goals it’s something we have to put higher demands on at the moment.
“Today he scored a really good goal, another assist and he can do more. But I think he is on the right path.”
Arteta went on to stress he wants his entire side to show greater consistency in the final third with the Gunners boasting just one goal from their past three games in the Premier League.
“I’m talking generally. It’s not just Nico or Willy [Willian], in general consistency wise in the final third with the end product, with the quality that we have we have to finish more things better and we can improve a lot,” Arteta said.
“That goes for every single player. Nico has scored three goals, the aim has to be to score 10 and Willy the same, three assists, he needs 10. If we don’t have that mindset, we won’t become the top team we want to be.”
Arsenal have now won three straight games in all competitions and currently sit top of their Europa League group after collecting maximum points.
