Arsenal new boy Nicolas Pepe has revealed that he has already forged an excellent understanding with new teammate Alexandre Lacazette and they can find each other ‘with their eyes shut’.
The Ivory Coast international moved to the Emirates in a club-record £72million deal from Lille over the summer, coming off the bench against both Newcastle and Burnley.
Manager Unai Emery has hinted that he could start when Arsenal take on Liverpool on Saturday and if he does, he will have no problems clicking with the rest of the team.
Speaking to BT Sport, he explained: ‘There’s a lot of players who speak French here: Aubameyang and Lacazette who link up well.
‘It’s certainly easier for me to play with French-speaking players. On the pitch, you can see that we look for and find each other.
‘It will take some time because we don’t know each other yet, but little movements show us we can find one another quickly.
‘Based on how it’s been in training with Laca. We’ve been able to find each other with our eyes shut.’
Pepe came on at half-time against Burnley last time out, playing 45 minutes, and Emery suggested the winger is now ready for more minutes – and therefore a start – at Anfield.
‘Now he is three weeks into working here with us. He didn’t do the pre-season here but he’s progressively feeling better,’ the Arsenal boss explained.
‘For example, in the first match, he played 15 minutes in Newcastle, then he played 45 minutes against Burnley. I think his individual performances are progressively getting better. For Saturday, he is maybe ready to have more minutes.
‘I am going to decide [on Friday], but really his progress has been positive and has been good for the team and for him. The most important piece of the adaptation is to help him to feel easy and be comfortable with us.’
