Arsenal star Pepe explains how Aubameyang and Lacazette are helping him rediscover mojo

Nicolas Pepe admits that his Arsenal career has not got off to the electric start that he would like.

But the Ivory Coast winger revealed he is being talked through his first nervous steps in English football by team-mates Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette.

The 24-year-old has not made the instant impact Gunners fans might have expected this term following his £72million switch from Lille in the summer.

Pepe had netted just one goal, from the penalty spot, and found himself relegated to the bench several times by manager Unai Emery as he has struggled to find his feet.

But, he has insisted he always felt he had the trust of his manager.

On Thursday night came what could be a turning point for the the Ivory Coast star – as he came off that bench to rattle in two superb late free-kicks and turn what could have been a Europa League disaster against the unfancied Vitoria Guimaraes into a scarcely believable 3-2 win, twice coming from behind.

It was a victory the under pressure Emery badly needed, and goals that Pepe, who had missed a sitter in Monday night’s dismal 1-0 defeat at Sheffield United, needed just as badly.

The boy who grew up in the suburbs of Paris said: “As soon as I arrived Pierre and Alexandre helped me. I talked a lot to them.

“The manager trusts me. Even if I hadn’t been decisive, I had the manager’s trust. It is always important to have the manager’s faith.

“Of course I knew it would be hard. This is a league totally different to Ligue 1. There is a different intensity.

“I had to adapt quickly because expectations were high. Unfortunately, that is not what I did at the beginning – but I had the manager’s trust and the players have supported me. I keep working hard.

“The key is to have good people around you. I have my family here with me so I could be good mentally when things were not going well. I rely a lot on them.

“It was always going to be difficult to come here to the unknown, with a different language.

“I am not at my best physically because I didn’t have a proper pre-season. I was at the African Cup of Nations. I am trying to work hard to be stronger physically.”

source: express.co.uk