Nicolas Pepe Talks Arsenal Start After Free-Kick Brace: 'It's Been Hard'

Arsenal forward Nicolas Pepe has said his start to life at the club has been "hard" but has paid tribute to manager Unai Emery and his team-mates for keeping faith with him. 

Pepe became Arsenal's club-record signing in the summer transfer window, when he arrived at the Emirates Stadium for a £72 million fee. The early weeks of his tenure as a Gunners player have been a struggle, as he's not yet adapted to the Premier League.

On Thursday, the Ivorian showed what he is capable of, as his two late free-kick goals saw Arsenal turn around their UEFA Europa League clash with Vitoria Guimaraes, winning 3-2. After the game, the 24-year-old reflected on his first few months in north London, per Charles Watts of Goal:

"It's been hard [to keep my confidence high], but the manager trusts me. Even if I haven't been decisive for a while, I always had the manager's trust. It is always important to have the manager's faith.

"The key is to have good people around you. I have my family here with me so I can be good mentally, especially when things are not going well. I rely a lot on them. For me, it was always going to be difficult to come here in the unknown, with a different language. So to have my family with me is important.

"It's not easy starting out here, but I'm beginning to find my feet with the help of my team-mates."

Pepe also admitted he's not in peak physical condition following a busy summer:

His pair of free-kicks were the high point of his Arsenal career so far, with the second scored deep into injury time to win the game for the Gunners:

After Arsenal were shock 1-0 losers at Sheffield United in the Premier League on Monday, manager Unai Emery would have been thankful to the substitute:

Last season, Pepe netted 22 goals and made 11 assists in 38 Ligue 1 appearances.

Clearly he is a major threat from dead-ball situations, finishing both free-kicks with pinpoint accuracy and power. At his best for Lille last season, Pepe was also dangerous in open play and showed he can carry the ball through phases and commit opposition defenders with his trickery.

Former England international Gary Lineker said the Arsenal man needs patience to be a big hit for the north London club:

Following his match-winning substitute appearance, Pepe will surely be in the Arsenal lineup for the clash with Crystal Palace on Sunday.

The Gunners have not fired in the Premier League as of late, with Emery's side too reliant on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in attack. Should Pepe start to shine alongside the Gabon international—not to mention Alexandre Lacazette, who has recently returned from injury—then Arsenal will have one of the most potent attacks in the division.