Arsenal 1-2 Olympiacos: 5 talking points – Mustafi played his part
By Kian Long
Pepe is just inexperienced at this level
When talking about Nicolas Pepe, many are quick to mention his price tag but forget about his age. He is only 24 and has plenty of time to develop.
It’s important to mention that Pepe has next to no European competition experience. Consequently, to head into extra time of an important game in the campaign was bound to prove difficult.
Pepe had an off-night but he is entitled to one every once in a while. His statistics aren’t anything to go by because this is the first game in a long while I can remember being disappointed with his performance. He is usually solid.
More from Arsenal FC
- Gunners do just enough to claim victory in season opener
- Arsenal: We bottled it but I don’t care
- Arsenal complete record deal for Declan Rice
- Arsenal splurges on transfers as they aim to collect silverware
- Arsenal complete the signing of Kai Havertz
Unlucky, Pepe, you can bounce back from this one.
We must give credit to Olympiacos
Yes, Arsenal were poor, but that’s not to take away from the performance of Olympiacos. We all knew they were going to be a tough contest when the draw was made and they were, in both matches.
Heading into the first tie, the Greek giants held an impressive unbeaten record and it took a lot for them to be broken down. They held a solid defensive wall throughout both matches of the tie and the Arsenal attack got lucky on two occasions.
Persistent probing from the Gunners just wasn’t enough for a resilient Olympiacos defence. That’s the real moral of the story.
Next. Should Bukayo Saka consider his future as a left-back?. dark
What did you make of Arsenal’s performance?