Mikel Arteta has offered an insight to how he is coaching Nicolas Pepe to become less one-footed for Arsenal
The 24-year-old is almost always played off the right wing where he cuts onto his stronger left foot. This benefits Arsenal when he is able to whip dangerous crosses to the far post but sometimes allows defenders to predict what how he will attack them.
Against West Ham, there were times where Pepe would weave in and out of challenges but chose to wait until he could shift the ball onto his left foot before releasing.
This reluctance to play a final ball with his right foot was also evident in the loss to Olympiacos when he broke into the box tried every trick in the book to get space on his left foot. Arteta feels this is a part of the winger's game that will improve, however.
"It's part of his development, he needs to open more doors to be more unpredictable for the opponent and give more options as well offensively to us," the Arsenal boss said.
"He's working on it, he will improve, he will get better. He's got the talent, an immense quality and he's willing to do it."
Upon his arrival from Manchester City in December, one of the aspects of Arteta's coaching that made fans most excited was how he dealt with his wingers.
Credited for helping both Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling blossom in the final third, this was something Arsenal fans was hoping could translate to the wingers currently at Arsenal, and Pepe in particular.
Simply talking won't bring about change, however, and Arteta explained just how he is trying to impact the way Pepe plays in the final third.
"Just show him images. Make him defend situations sometimes like he is the full-back and I attack him as a winger," the 37-year-old added.
"You have to feel the moment when the ball is here where you are weak and depending on the step that you take, how that effects the opponent every time, where the spaces are for the strikers, where the strikers want the ball in certain areas, it's a process."
Despite showing moments of promise, Pepe couldn't get properly going to expose the West Ham defence and was substituted on 69 minutes.
The Hammers did in fact cause problems for Arsenal throughout the afternoon at the Emirates. Michail Antonio ran the channels well and had opportunities to score but Bernd Leno was in phenomenal form as usual.
With 10 Premier League games remaining, David Moyes' side are only above the relegation zone on goal difference. Currently level on points with Watford and Bournemouth (27), Arteta admitted he was surprised at just how few points the Hammers have - Arsenal only have 40 points themselves.
"(It's) very strange. That's why everyone is dropping points against each other and you get surprises.
"Things that are supposed to happen in football, now it's not happening anymore with results. I watched the games they played against (Manchester) City, Liverpool and Spurs and in some of them, they (West Ham) were really unlucky.
"So probably, the points they have at the moment doesn't show the quality they've been putting in, in the last few weeks."
