Nicolas Pepe's now or never moment has finally arrived. The Ivorian's position at Arsenal is under threat and the likes of Emile Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard have come to challenge him for a place in the team.
For two games in a row Pepe has looked more like the player Arsenal expected to sign for £72.5million in the summer of 2019, and perhaps all that was required to get the best out of him was a consistent run of games.
Pepe made the most sprints in the first half and he got the better of Manchester United full-back Luke Shaw on several occasions, drawing a foul from the Englishman and proceeding to laugh at the skill which confused Shaw.
And that's what he needed. An opportunity to enjoy his football rather than demands for constant positional discipline and tracking back.
Indeed, the 26-year-old's pressing has been another feature of his game which has clearly been worked on under Mikel Arteta and it's a facet which the Arsenal manager wants from all of his midfield and forward players.
Comments from Arsenal legend Robert Pires before the game reached the UK and many would have concurred with him if they were judging from the previous months of underwhelming performances in the league.
“His game doesn’t suit the intensity and demands of the Premier League," said Pires.
“Pepe wasn’t used to it and it has been complicated for him to change his mentality, to adapt to a new way of training and to settle in a tough league.
“I think he is simply not cut out for English football.”
Pires knows a thing or two about struggling to adapt and he was someone who took over a season to settle into English football, which makes those comments even more bewildering at a time when the Ivorian needs support of those associated with the club.
As for the game itself, Arsenal had just 37 percent possession in the first half, there were seven shots apiece and two each on target. The Gunners didn't look water-tight at the back but the improvement in confidence is certainly visible when you look at the results over the past month.
David Luiz was particularly impressive at both ends of the pitch and defended valiantly throughout the game, while Bernd Leno warrants praise for a confident performance between the sticks.
Arsenal will be happy with a point against a United side who have looked tremendous in recent weeks, with their squad starting to produce consistent performances and look more than capable of challenging for a top four spot before the season ends.
