Arsenal fans were very excited when they won the race for Nicolas Pepe this summer.

The Ivorian international had shone for Lille in the 2018/19 season.

He scored 23 times in 41 games as the forward helped Lille to second place in the league and a Champions League berth.

He was also named his side's Player of the Season and was included in the Ligue 1 Team of the Year.

So when Arsenal signed him for £72 million, smashing their club record signing in the process, it was expected he would take them to the next level.

But it hasn't quite worked out for him.

The 24-year-old has scored just once for his side in his opening eight matches and even that came from the penalty spot.

He was given a starting berth against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Monday night.

But he didn't have his best game to say the least.

Pepe tried to make things happen throughout the game but he was largely ineffectual.

He was getting mocked online for dropping a 'disaster-class' and his stats from the game show just how poor he was.

Pepe was on the pitch for 74 minutes before making way for Reiss Nelson.

In that time he lost the ball 17 times, the most of any player on the pitch.

That also means he lost the ball on average every four minutes.

He also only had one successful take on and didn't create a single chance for his teammates. 

Pepe attempted four crosses but none found their target.

Pepe was expected to give makeshift left-back Axel Tuanzebe a tough night but the youngster pocketed the £72 million man throughout.

A 'highlights 'video has been created from Pepe's performance but it just shows him losing the ball on numerous occasions.

It really wasn't his best game to say the least. It's hard to adapt to the pace of the Premier League, meaning Pepe must be given some benefit of the doubt. 

But Arsenal fans would all have expected more form the Ivorian in his opening eight games.

Roy Keane was working as a pundit on Sky Sports and he expressed his disappointment with him after the game.

"Disappointed with him since he’s come to the club," Keane told Sky Sports, per the Metro. 

"Not great body language… okay, sometimes we make excuses for players a lot, it takes time to settle into a club.

"You see this young kid tonight [Saka], Pepe compared to him for the money they paid, he needs to do a lot more.

"His work rate, his lack of quality, end product, his body language. He didn’t seem up for the fight tonight."