Nicolas Pepe lifts lid on Arteta relationship and makes Arsenal title prediction
Former Gunners winger opens up on communication struggles under Mikel Arteta and backs his old club to edge the Premier League title race
Nicolas Pepe lifts lid on Arteta relationship and makes Arsenal title prediction originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . Nicolas Pepe insists he has no regrets about leaving Arsenal , saying he has found a more suitable environment at Villarreal after a difficult spell in England.
The Ivory Coast winger joined Arsenal for a then club-record £72. 5m in 2019 but struggled for consistency in north London, scoring 27 goals in 112 appearances before being frozen out as Mikel Arteta reshaped the squad. Pepe says his biggest frustration was a lack of communication with the Spaniard, and points to his relationship with current Villarreal boss Marcelino Garcia Toral as the clearest example of the difference.
"First, it's different. These two managers are really different," Pepe told Flashscore. MORE: How many points do Arsenal need to win the Premier League title?
"We'll start with Arteta, who is a coach who asks for certain things. Sometimes it was a bit tough for me, where from time to time we didn't have this communication. And that's what I regret the most, not having enough communication with him.