Emery EXPECTED £72m Pepe to struggle at Arsenal but is showing flop videos in desperate bid to improve him

UNAI EMERY admitted he expected Nicolas Pepe to struggle in his first season in England - but is showing the winger videos in a bid to improve his performances.

Arsenal spent a club-record £72million to bring the Ivory Coast international to the Emirates from Lille in the summer.

But he has failed to live up to the hype just yet, registering a solitary Premier League goal with a penalty against Aston Villa in September.

Boss Emery, though, is confident his under-performing forward can come good with the continued support of the coaching staff.

He told : "He just needs time, and to be demanding of himself.

"We are with him, working individually with him and showing him videos of where he can improve.

"The intensity of the game and the opponents in England demands a lot of you.

"He has to adapt to that, and we have to help him so that he can keep taking steps forward.

"His process of adapting to the team is positive, but a little slower than what we wanted.

"We have to be patient as well as demanding and what's more, we have to ensure that he takes responsibility himself."

Pepe's standout moments in an Arsenal shirt came after he was substituted on in the Europa League tie at home to Vitoria.

He struck with not one but two late free-kicks to turn the game on its head and secure a 3-2 win for the Gunners.

But Pepe was left out for the drab draw at home to Wolves to the frustration of some fans who felt Pepe was starting to build up some form and momentum.

When recalled for the away trip to Vitoria, the 24-year-old delivered by setting up Shkodran Mustafi for the Gunners' goal, the only pass his team completed into the opposition box.

But Emery added: "He is not quite at the level yet to be able to play in every game.

"I believe, and I have always believed, that he needs to play in order to reach that level, but obviously there are also games when other players deserve to play.

"I use the players who I think are going to help us most in each moment.

"But we bought Pepe knowing that the first year would be difficult, that it would be a year of adaptation.

"We want that to happen as quickly as possible, but we are seeing that we have to have patience."

Pepe and Emery will both be desperate they can help mastermind an Arsenal victory later today as the Gunners travel to the East Midlands to take on in-form Leicester.