“It isn’t a coincidence” – Mikel Arteta reveals Nicolas Pepe left him text message at 3 AM before scoring for Arsenal in win over Wolves
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed the text message he received from Nicolas Pepe prior to his game-changing heroics against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The 26-year-old stepped off the bench with the Gunners trailing and injected belief into the team, scoring the equalizer and playing a key role in the winning goal.
Speaking to talkSPORT's Sports Bar as relayed by Football London, Arteta revealed that the Ivory Coast international texted him at 3:00 AM, revealing his desire to make an impact.
“Pepe, he had a baby last night. At 2-3am he text me and said yeah, I want to come and help the team. So this thing happened and it isn’t a coincidence, it’s because the togetherness and unity is there," said the Gunners boss.
Arsenal trailed Wolves for over 70 minutes having gone behind to an early goal by Hwang Hee-chan. The Gunners looked disheveled and hassled for most of the game and lacked invention in attack until Pepe's introduction.
"The stadium was completely behind us. It was massive. I believed we could turn it around and we made it happen together."💬 "The stadium was completely behind us. It was massive. I believed we could turn it around and we made it happen together."
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The former Lille man saw just 19 minutes of action but that was enough for him to make an impact. It took just eight minutes for him to equalize and he showed his technique and class to control the ball expertly before guiding it beyond Jose Sa.
The Ivory Coast international joined the Gunners for a club-record £72 million in 2019 and has made 103 appearances across all competitions, scoring 27 goals and giving 20 assists. The 26-year-old hasn't had an impact that could match his hefty price tag. The goal against Wolves was his first goal in the Premier League this season in 11 games.
Resurgent Arsenal now in the driving seat in the race for the top four
With the title race a foregone conclusion between Liverpool and Manchester City, attention has turned to who will occupy the final two spots in the top four.
Qualification for the UEFA Champions League is crucial to the elite sides owing to the prestige and financial rewards associated with the tournament.
A few weeks ago, the Gunners were seemingly out of the running for a top-four finish but a recent resurgence has installed the capital side as favorites to finish fourth.
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The Emirates outfit are currently on a four-game unbeaten run in the league, winning the last three. This has seen them close the gap on fourth-placed Manchester United to just one point.
Crucially, the Gunners currently have two games in hand over the Red Devils and victory in both would see them draw even closer to third-placed Chelsea.
They play Watford (6 March), Leicester City (13 March) and Liverpool (16 March) next and getting results out of those games will be crucial for their top four quest.