In the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals, Côte d'Ivoire and Egypt exchanged 0-0 whites in regular time. In the ensuing penalty shootout, Côte d'Ivoire lost 4-5 and was eliminated. Looking back at this game, Manchester United centre-back Bailey, who conceded a key penalty, became the culprit in the loss. However, the most disappointing thing to say is Arsenal king Pepe. I thought he would shoulder the offensive banner of Côte d'Ivoire, but he didn't expect to be embarrassed to reuse it. In this regard, Premier League fans have ridiculed: playing like at Arsenal!
It all started two years ago. In order to strengthen the front, Arsenal set their sights on Pepe, who plays for Lille. After deliberations between the two clubs, Arsenal eventually signed Pepe for a huge transfer fee of 80 million euros. With the completion of the deal, Pepe became arsenal's new champion in team history. At that time, many media predicted that he would form one of the strongest tridents in the Premier League with Lacazette and Aubameyang.
The ideal is very full, the reality is very bone. I thought that high input would bring high output, but I didn't expect Arsenal to hit the eye. Pepe, who performed heroically in Ligue 1, has never been able to adapt to the rhythm of the Premier League. Faced with the steady and fierce defensive interception of the Premier League defenders, Arsenal's standard kings have less and less confidence the more they play. Especially in the last two seasons, Pepe has not even dared to try to break through many times, but has chosen to pass the world to teammates. For a player who is known for breaking through, this way of playing is obviously self-destructive. Therefore, after hearing that Pepe was selected for the African Cup of Nations squad in Côte d'Ivoire, Arsenal fans have said: Hurry up and let him go, maybe you can restore the factory settings.
Not to mention, Pepe's performance in the first few African Cup of Nations group stages has been really good. Especially against defending champions Algeria, he helped Côte d'Ivoire win 3-1. According to statistics, Pepe scored 2 goals and 1 assist in three group games, averaging one goal per game. Seeing this, Arsenal fans saw hope for Pepe's bloodied return.
It's just a pity that the good times are not long. In the quarter-final against Egypt, Pepe reappeared in his original form. On the surface, he has plenty of opportunities to carry the ball on the left, but it is difficult to pose a substantial threat. With a difficult cooperation with his teammates to successfully break through to the defensive hinterland of Egypt, Pepe's weak shots made all his previous efforts in vain. In the end, The battle between Côte d'Ivoire and Egypt, which did not rain, was a 0-0 draw. In the ensuing penalty shootout, Manchester United centre-back Bailey conceded a penalty, resulting in Ivory Coast losing 5-4 to Egypt and then being eliminated.
Looking at Pepe's performance in this game, it is obvious that he does not deserve the "C position" of the pre-match poster. In fact, his performance throughout the African Cup of Nations series was exactly the same as when he played at Arsenal: he did well in ordinary games, and even at the team's thigh level. However, when it comes to fighting a hard battle, it is almost impossible to count on. Especially when encountering a team with a strong defense, Pepe, who avoids playing football, is directly no threat.
Ironically, what Côte d'Ivoire and Arsenal need is precisely pepe to be able to top at key moments, which is clearly beyond his reach. As a result, the unreliable Pepe has repeatedly "lived up" to the expectations of the team and fans. I have to say that Arsenal's introduction of Pepe belongs to the eye, I thought that 80 million bought a thigh, but I did not expect to be a chicken rib king who can only be commonly used.