Nicolas Pepe leaves Arsenal to join Trabzonspor: Decoding his stats
Nicolas Pepe has joined Turkish outfit Trabzonspor putting an end to his disappointing four-year stay with Arsenal. The Ivorian joined the North London outfit for £72m in 2019 from LOSC Lille. Pepe was Arsenal's record transfer during that time. However, he failed to live up to the expectations. He spent the last season on loan at Nice. He leaves Arsenal on a free transfer.
Why does this story matter?
Pepe joined Arsenal in 2019 as the Gunners saw a lot of potential in the youngster. However he never managed to replicate his form at Lille for Arsenal and therefore, he gradually grew out of favor. With Mikel Arteta looking to implement his gameplay, Pepe was never in the Spaniard's plans. The 28-year-old was linked with several clubs but the Trabzonspor won the race.
A look at Pepe's career stats
Pepe started his career at Stade Poitevin and played nine matches. He then joined Angers B team and featured in 41 matches, scoring nine goals. Pepe scored thrice in 47 matches for Angers before joining Lille. In between he had a loan stint at US Orleans, where he scored eight goals in 32 matches. At Lille, he netted 37 times in 80 matches.
A look at Pepe's career stats (2)
After a breakthrough 2018-19 season, Pepe joined Arsenal on a massive transfer. In his three seasons, he scored 27 goals in 112 matches for the Gunners. He scored eight goals in the first season and 16 goals in his second season before managing only three goals in the 2021-22 season. Pepe joined Nice on loan last season and scored eight goals in 28 matches.
Breaking down Pepe's numbers in the 2022-23 Ligue 1 season
The 28-year-old featured in 18 matches in 2022-23 Ligue 1, scoring six goals. Pepe created 28 chances last season. As per Opta, he completed 530 out of 640 attempted passes clocking 82.81% passing accuracy. He made 36 attempts (excluding blocks) and 20 shots were on target. Pepe struck the woodwork twice. Pepe won eight aerial and 93 ground duels while completing 34 take-ons.
A look at his Premier League numbers
The Ivorian winger has featured in 80 Premier League matches, netting 16 goals and providing nine assists. Pepe completed 1,654 passes and created 10 big chances. Two of his 16 goals were from penalties, while three were from his weak right foot. He struck the woodwork eight times while missing eight big chances. The 28-year-old registered 60 tackles and 28 interceptions.
37 appearances for Ivory Coast!
Pepe has earned 37 international caps for Ivory Coast while netting 10 goals. He made his debut against France in a friendly back in November 2016. He scored his first international goal in March 2018 against Togo in a friendly encounter. Pepe's last goal for Ivory Coast came against Burundi last year in November in a 4-0 win.
