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Football London
Football London
Sport
Connor O'Neill & Josh Challies

Rafa Benitez issues Nicolas Pepe warning after first Premier League goal for Arsenal

Nicolas Pepe has been singled out for praise by Jamie Carragher after he helped Arsenal come from behind to beat West Ham on Monday night.

Gabriel Martinelli’s equaliser on the hour mark sparked his side into life after the Hammers had taken a first half lead.

Before Pepe cut inside and unleashed a curling effort past David Martin to fire his side ahead minutes later.

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Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang then completed the turnaround when he finished emphatically from close-range, but it was Pepe who caught the eye of Carragher at the London Stadium.

"I was delighted that he scored because it’s not easy coming into the Premier League, big signing, things haven’t gone well and the manager that signed you has left the club," the former Liverpool man said on Monday Night Football.

"I was delighted to see Pepe start but also to get this goal.

"It's fantastic, left-footer, he bends it in."

Before fellow pundit Rafael Benitez added: "Pepe will have confidence for two or three games but he has to keep doing it now otherwise he will lose it again.

"For sure, Arsenal have potential and quality to score a lot of goals.

"They have to fix the balance between the team.

"It can be coached.

"David Luiz was my player and he's very clever. If you give them the right direction and instructions they will follow that but they have been making too many mistakes.

"This result will give them more confidence."

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