Sunday’s disgrace is Thursday’s saving of face. At Elland Road, Nicolas Pépé had cracked under the pressure of a rare
Premier League start and incurred his manager’s wrath with an idiotic red card. In Molde he was given an immediate chance to confirm he had learned his lesson and, knowing he would be under the harshest of spotlights, this time mastered the occasion perfectly.
Pépé’s natural talent has never been in much doubt but there have been plenty of question marks surrounding his ability to plug into Mikel Arteta’s demands. The manager’s most recent request, delivered on the eve of this game, was that the Ivorian takes control of his destiny at Arsenal. He could hardly have received a more satisfying response given Pépé, who looked determined all night, scored a well-taken opener early in the second half and paved the way for the early qualification from Group B that
Arsenal had craved.