Following the club’s 3-0 loss against Marseille on Sunday, Nice manager Lucien Favre criticized Nicolas Pepe for his lack of “intensity.”
The on-loan Arsenal player endured a dreadful start as Nice lost to Marseille 3-0, with Alexis Sanchez scoring twice for the guests. Nuno Tavares, another Gunners loan star, scored Marseille’s third goal.
Pepe, the record signing for Arsenal whom they paid £72m ($85m) for from Lille three years ago, made his way back to Ligue 1 earlier this month when he agreed to a season-long loan with Nice.
Official, confirmed. OGC Nice sign Nicolas Pépé on a loan deal from Arsenal, valid until June 2023. No buy option included. 🚨🔴 #AFC
Pépé has completed medical in the morning and then signed the contract. pic.twitter.com/K69OpSdXon
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 25, 2022
At Lille, he rose to become one of Europe’s top prospects and he will hope to regain that form for Nice.
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What Did Favre Say?
When asked to comment on Pepe’s performance, Favre did not hold back, telling reporters: “He hasn’t played for a long time in England.
“He has done the pre-season with Arsenal but he hasn’t played any matches. He is lacking a bit of rhythm, intensity in his placements, his pressing and in his ball recovery, because everyone has to do that.
“There aren’t any exceptions. If one or two players don’t do the work, the whole team is in trouble. Everyone has to do it at the same time, everyone has to defend to recover the ball.”
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