Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says Nicolas Pepe has returned from the Africa Cup of Nations a “different” player and has backed him to replicate the strong end to the season he enjoyed last year.
Pepe was in red-hot form towards the back end of last season and he finished the campaign with six goals in as many games.
The winger has struggled to replicate that this season, with a lack of minutes also hindering him, and he has found the net just twice.
Pepe did shine while with Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations last month, however, scoring two goals in four games at the tournament.
Arteta has been impressed with the 26-year-old since he has returned to Arsenal and has backed him to have a big end to the season as the Gunners push to qualify for the Champions League.
“Since he has come back from AFCON I think I have seen a different Nico as well,” said Arteta.
“I don’t know what it is, probably he has realised the importance of the end of the season for him. He had a brilliant end of the season last year. He can replicate that.
“We need him at his best because everybody is going to contribute. We are a really short squad at the moment and we need it and hopefully he has understood that we want to play him.
“I don’t want to have a player like him sitting on the bench and not using him and the moment I have chances, I want to give him a chance.”
Asked specifically what is different about Pepe now, Arteta said: “His attitude, his smile, the way he is communicating with everybody, his energy.
“The way he has trained. His efficiency in training, his application. His energy has changed. I don’t know what it is. I think he felt important again.
“Probably he felt like a proper football player that can win tournaments and felt: ‘Ok, this is me now’. And he needed that and I’m really pleased with that.”
Pepe is facing a decisive summer in his Arsenal career as he will have two years to run on his current contract come the end of the season.
And asked if he thinks the winger sees his long-term future at Arsenal, Arteta said: “I hope he does.
“But I understand that when a player doesn’t play he is disappointed and Nico has been disappointed because he wanted to have more minutes.
“But hopefully he can play many more minutes and he can contribute to the team because he has the ability to do it.”
