It's been a difficult debut campaign for Nicolas Pepe at Arsenal, but Sunday afternoon may well have been the turning point for kick-starting his career at the Emirates.

The Ivory Coast international arrived in a club-record deal worth £72m last summer, but has struggled to replicate the kind of form that enticed the Gunners into bringing him in from Lille.

Before the clash against Newcastle at the weekend, Pepe had managed just five goals and four assists in 27 games across all competitions.

Speaking last week, Mikel Arteta admitted that the winger's price tag may have contributed to his disappointing displays, but insisted he could still deliver for the club, claiming that he is "in the process" of seeing a clearer picture.

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And against the Magpies, Pepe came to the fore like his manager called for. He scored one and made two, as the Gunners delivered their most emphatic victory of the Arteta era with a 4-0 win at the Emirates.

But whilst his goal contributions were impressive enough, the rest of his performance was just as eye-catching and enticing for both Arteta and Arsenal fans alike.

As per Sofascore, his 9.7 match rating was by far the highest of any player on the pitch, and when you look at the underlying numbers it is easy to see why. He completed two of his three attempted dribbles, created three big chances, provided four key passes, and won an impressive seven duels too.

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It was the complete performance from the Ivorian - a mixture of individual brilliance, and a desire to help the team. Numerous times over the course of the match he could be seen tracking back to help Hector Bellerin out with the dangerous Allan Saint-Maximin.

The work-rate was there, and so was the technical quality on the ball. Pepe set the benchmark for the rest of his season, and arguably the rest of his Gunners career with what he produced on Sunday afternoon at the Emirates.

Meanwhile, this Arsenal starlet deserves a chance to be Aaron Ramsey's successor.