10 Players Who Will Rule Premier League In 2020/21
6. Nicolas Pepe (Arsenal)
A lot has been made of Nicolas Pepe and his £72 million record transfer to Arsenal. But whilst the season certainly started inconsistently for the Ivory Coast talisman, with the winger being routinely phased in and out of the side by both Unai Emery and Freddie Ljungberg, the second half of the season under Mikel Arteta was much better, and certainly contained more than a few magical moments to remind players exactly why Pepe is so highly regarded.
5 Goals and 6 assists might not be what everyone expects from a record signing but, to put Arsenal's season into context, it was still enough to contribute to over 20% of the side's goals for the campaign. What's more, 3 of those and 3 of those assists came in the second half of the season under Mikel Arteta, showcasing the winger's continued improvement as the season progressed. It's far more useful for a player to finish a season strongly after a middling start, instead of starting it like a rocket and then filtering out after all.
Arsenal are a side that will hit the new season with a renewed sense of momentum following the improvements under Arteta, and it's clear that with the likes of Bellerin and Tierney now fully fit and established behind him, Pepe will be an instrumental part of the Spanaird's plans.