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.
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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.
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“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.
“Then with coach Marcelino, it’s the opposite, where I think we talk about everything, about nothing, football, not football, whatever.
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“I always say that I prefer a coach who is totally transparent with me, whether it’s the right or the wrong side. It allows me to move forward and progress.”
The 30-year-old has five goals and four assists in 29 La Liga appearances this season, and says the contrast in styles between England and Spain has suited him.
“It’s totally different in terms of intensity of play. [In] the Premier League, we were very much focused on the intensity whereas in Spain we are more relaxed. The idea of playing is to play the ball.
“With stadiums in England I think there are no better. You can go to the third or fourth division, you will have stadiums that are filled with incredible atmosphere.
“In Spain, too, there’s atmosphere, but it’s totally different. So I think it’s two different leagues, but they are at a very high level.”
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Pepe remains a keen observer of his former club’s progress, particularly as Arsenal continue their pursuit of the Premier League title against Manchester City.
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“Honestly I think it will be about details. They still have the Champions League to play, so there is that to manage. City have nothing to do, I think they only have the Premier League now, so they will be focused on the Premier League.
“But it will really depend on the details because I think the difference is one goal. I think Arsenal will end up champions, but really, it’s a pity losing to City.”
For now, Pepe’s focus is firmly on Villarreal as the Spanish side sit third in La Liga, pushing for a return to the Champions League after last season’s disappointment on the European stage.
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“It’s important for Villarreal to qualify for the Champions League again because before that, before last year, before this year, we were really keen to qualify. Unfortunately, this year we didn’t have a big journey in the Champions League.
“In LaLiga, we really want to qualify to give the fans what they deserve, which is the Champions League. So for now, we’re in third. The best thing is to stay third and stay like that until the end of the season.”
Villarreal face Real Oviedo tomorrow as Pepe looks to extend his recent run of form and keep the Yellow Submarine on course for a top-four finish.
