Wilfried Zaha has spoken up in defence of Ivory Coast team-mate Nicolas Pepe, calling on Arsenal fans to show patience in the club's record signing.
The Gunners moved for Pepe after failing with a bid for Zaha in the summer. The 24-year-old arrived to much fanfare, signing a five-year contract after the Gunners agreed a structured deal for the Lille winger worth £72million.
But Pepe has scored just once - a penalty in the win over Aston Villa - and assisted two in eight Premier League appearances for Arsenal as he continues to adjust to life in England.
It is a stark dip in form for a player who scored 22 goals and set up 11 in France last term, while his stuttering start has been brought into sharp focus by the impressive displays of young team-mates Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.
But Zaha has urged supporters to 'give Pepe time' as he attempts to settle in north London.
"I see the social media, I see everything and it's a thing where he needs time. He's come from another league, he's young," Zaha told the BBC.
"There's this price tag that he has not put on himself, people have put that on him because of his performances, so you've got to give him time for him to reproduce that, it's not going to come like that.
"I have got nothing but faith in him, I've got confidence that he will produce the same thing that he did before, because we both play for Ivory Coast, I've seen the talent he's got, but not everyone sees it.
