Villarreal’s 3-2 pre-season win over Arsenal turned personal for Nicolas Pepe, who found the net and responded to Emirates boos with a calm two-word post – www.naijnaira.com reports.
Facing his old club for the first time since leaving, Pepe wrote “Back home” on Instagram, pairing the caption with matchday photos and a silent statement that didn’t go unnoticed. As reported by HITC, fans who had earlier booed him switched to applause after the forward respectfully held back from celebrating his goal.
Pepe left Arsenal on a free transfer in 2023 after an underwhelming £72 million move from Lille and a short loan stint with Nice. He spent last season with Villarreal, scoring three times and assisting six in 28 appearances.
His goal opened the scoring at the Emirates before Danjuma later secured the win for the visitors. “Back home,” he posted, as fans flooded the comments in support.
In contrast, Arsenal’s summer signing Viktor Gyokeres struggled to leave a mark. Meanwhile, academy talent Max Dowman impressed again with a composed showing, giving Mikel Arteta plenty to think about before the season begins.
Pepe played 77 minutes and exited to respectful applause. His old teammate Granit Xhaka, now at Sunderland, liked his Instagram post – another nod to the winger’s impact, even if his time in North London didn’t live up to its price tag.
The Ivory Coast forward ended his Arsenal spell with 27 goals and 21 assists in 112 games. Despite how it ended, the love from a section of the crowd showed that some wounds can fade.
Article updated 3 minutes ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
