What happened between Pepe and Lacazette that could make Arteta rethink Arsenal's transfer plans

Nicolas Pepe has experienced it all this season. From being used on the left, to the right and there's no forgetting the infamous red card against Leeds which prompted manager Mikel Arteta to say his winger 'let the team down'.

If Pepe let his teammates down in November then he's certainly won them over now. The Ivorian's numbers have never been enough for many to justify his huge price tag, but was it ever fair to put that kind of pressure on a player heading into his second season at the club?

There can never be the perfect moment to assess a player's contributions but after settling into life at the club Pepe now appears to have found his feet. He can make an impact coming off the bench, but he also has the ability to produce moments of magic in the final third from the start of games too.

“I don’t know how much he wants it but he needs guidance,” said Arteta in February.

“And he needs clarity in what he needs to do, then he needs the discipline on the pitch to do what he needs to do.

“Obviously he needs the freedom in certain moments to express himself as a player. You cannot restrict that for sure.”

In 1792 minutes played this season in the Premier League and Europa League, Pepe has eight goals and three assists.

He scored in three consecutive league games away from home last month and averages 162 minutes per goal contribution, a statistic which is not too bad considering he doesn't start every match.

Theo Walcott famously became an impact player under former manager Arsene Wenger, who would bring him on towards the end of games to wear down the opposition and make overlapping runs.

Pepe doesn't want to be that player. He wants to start games and the best way of doing that is to make an immediate impact when he's given minutes - just like he did against West Ham on Sunday afternoon.

The 25-year-old managed to get an assist after playing just 17 minutes at London Stadium and it's symptomatic of his season that his contributions largely go unnoticed when the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette finish them off.

His assist for Lacazette which saw the Frenchman win a penalty in the north London derby was sublime, another moment of magic which showcased the astute vision that has only recently been unleashed from the Ivorian.

Arteta now has several selection dilemmas to contend with. Martin Odegaard is one of the first names on the teamsheet since his loan move from Real Madrid, with the Gunners looking to extend his deal whether it's a loan extension or on a permanent basis.

And that provides healthy competition for Pepe, who has been a consistent performer in the Europa League especially.

With 6.3 attempted take-ons per 90 minutes, 3.4 of which were successful, he also averages 3.4 chances created per game. There were murmurs that Arteta could look to recoup some of the £72million that Arsenal paid for him almost two years ago - but right now that is looking highly unlikely.