{"id":241651,"date":"2026-05-03T19:10:13","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T19:10:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/03\/after-fulham-arsenals-new-nicolas-pepe-must-not-start-again-this-season\/"},"modified":"2026-05-03T19:10:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T19:10:13","slug":"after-fulham-arsenals-new-nicolas-pepe-must-not-start-again-this-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/03\/after-fulham-arsenals-new-nicolas-pepe-must-not-start-again-this-season\/","title":{"rendered":"After Fulham: Arsenal’s new Nicolas Pepe must not start again this season"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

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Arsenal<\/a> are back and they are the favourites for the Premier League<\/a> title once again.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

It would have been easy for the Gunners to throw in the towel after their 2-1 defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad. In the same week, Pep Guardiola’s men had drawn level on points.<\/p>\n

\n
\n \n <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Yet, since then, Mikel Arteta<\/a>‘s side have raced ahead once more. City have two games in hand but Arsenal are six points ahead. Will the pressure of chasing catch up with the Citizens? Quite possibly.<\/p>\n

Arsenal’s win over Fulham on Saturday could well mark the turning point. At long, long last, the forward line was firing again.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n Arsenal’s attack returns to form in stunning fashion<\/strong>
\n <\/h2>\n

At last, the handbrake is off. It’s safe to say in the last few months, this crop of players has looked tired, languid and devoid of the confidence they had worked so hard to build and maintain.<\/p>\n

Before hammering three unanswered goals past Fulham in a captivating first half, the Gunners had really struggled in the forward line. They had not scored two goals in one game since the 2-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League. That was nine games ago.<\/p>\n

Well, with Bukayo Saka<\/a> back in the team, their fortunes were totally transformed. Saka has been below par this term and as a result, the absence of his qualities in recent weeks had been underestimated a bit.<\/p>\n

\n
\n \"Saka-Arsenal-1\"\n <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

He proved precisely why he’s still very much their best player on Saturday. He left Raul Jimenez on the deck in the build-up to the first goal, darting past the Mexican and laying the ball on a plate for Viktor Gyokeres.<\/p>\n

Gyokeres perhaps played his best game in an Arsenal shirt. He supplied the second, holding the ball up and turning it around the corner into the path of Saka who scored himself.<\/p>\n

That was just his third goal since December. It’s been a tricky old campaign for the stand-in captain.<\/p>\n

It was Gyokeres who scored the defining third goal. Even Leandro Trossard got in on the act on this occasion, getting the better of Timothy Castagne and then standing up a cross for Arsenal’s number 14 to find the net.<\/p>\n

Like Saka and Gyokeres, Trossard was phenomenal. It was a reminder of what he can do at his best. The Belgian may still be without a goal in 2026 but he created two big chances on Saturday and completed all six of his dribble attempts. He has never completed more in a single game in his entire Premier League career.<\/p>\n

Such a performance, however, is undoubtedly bad news for one of the club’s summer arrivals.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n Arsenal’s new Pepe must not start for them again this season<\/strong>
\n <\/h2>\n

Oh Saka, how we’ve missed you. What a performance this was. He tied Fulham in knots and so impressive was his work that it allowed Arteta to withdraw the number 7 at half-time and save him for Atletico Madrid in midweek.<\/p>\n

\n
\n \"Saka-Gyokeres-Arsenal\"\n <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Yet, the man who replaced him was simply not at the races, yet again. Noni Maduke has been a polarising figure since arriving in a mega \u00a352m deal last summer and the difference between he and Saka was made abundantly clear on Saturday.<\/p>\n

Truth be told, the former Chelsea winger has been a useful addition. Considering Saka’s fitness, having a maverick style winger such as Madueke to fill in has been valuable. That said, his performances have been no better than Ethan Nwaneri’s last term. In fact, they pale in comparison.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

Saka vs Fulham<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n

\n

Minutes played<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

45<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Goals<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Assists<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Key passes<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

4<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Big chances created<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

2<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Shots<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

2<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Touches<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

41<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Carries<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

14<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Successful dribbles<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1\/2<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Accurate passes<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

24\/30 (80%)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n

Nwaneri burst onto the scene last term as Saka’s understudy, scoring nine goals in all competitions. Joe Cole even compared him to Lionel Messi.<\/p>\n

Yet, this season, he fell behind both Eberechi Eze and Madueke in the pecking order. Eze is finally delivering in Arsenal colours but Madueke is not.<\/p>\n

Cut from a similar cloth as Nicolas Pepe, he’s a tricky winger with a languid playstyle, much like the Ivorian. The trouble is, just like one of Arsenal’s biggest ever signings, Madueke has failed to deliver many moments of productivity from the right wing. He’s been worse than the aforementioned Nwaneri was last term. He’s certainly even worse than Pepe.<\/p>\n

\n
\n \"Nicolas\n <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

This season, the 24-year-old has netted just seven times, only two of which have come in the Premier League. Furthermore, he has provided four assists. Just one of those has come in top-flight action.<\/p>\n

Compared to Saka, the difference is night and day. Saka is a genuine world-class talent. Madueke is far from that.<\/p>\n

\n
\n \"Madueke-Arsenal-Saka\"\n <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

When he came on against Fulham this weekend, the attacker did not have a single shot and created just one big chance. He managed only nine passes and lost the ball every 2.4 touches. He also lost four of his five duels.<\/p>\n

Based on what we saw on Saturday, Saka simply has to start every remaining game that remains this season. Madueke’s acquisition is looking more and more strange by the week.<\/p>\n

\n


\n \"Arsenal-Rice-Gyokeres-Gabriel-Saka\"<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\n
\n

\t\t
\n\t\t\tHe was a monster v Fulham: Arsenal look like they’ve found their new Wilshere
\n\t\t<\/a>
\n\t<\/h5>\n

Arsenal strengthened their Premier League title chances with a 3-0 win over Fulham.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Arsenal are back and they are the favourites for the Premier League title once again. It would have been easy for the Gunners to throw in the towel after their 2-1 defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad. In the same week, Pep Guardiola’s men had drawn level on points. Yet, since then, Mikel Arteta‘s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":241652,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6808],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-241651","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-football"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241651","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=241651"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241651\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/241652"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=241651"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=241651"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=241651"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}