'Just the start' - Arsenal legends back Pepe to thrive after Europa League heroics

Nicolas Pepe will only get better for Arsenal following his Europa League heroics against Vitoria , according to former club legend Robin van Persie.

The Ivory Coast international sealed a key win for the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday after he netted a brace in the final quarter-hour to seal a key 3-2 comeback win for Unai Emery's side.

The hosts had previously been 2-1 down at the interval with only Gabriel Martinelli's effort to show, but Pepe's performance ensured Arsenal kept their perfect Group F record intact.

The 24-year-old has come under fire in some quarters for arguably failing to justify the cost of his arrival in North London, but former club great van Persie feels that the cost does not matter after the winger showed just what he was capable of.

"I'm really happy for him. You can see what it does for him, even after the first free-kick," he told BT Sport. 

"You could see he just became lively and happy, and he was making all sorts of movements and skills. Then it's great for him, even to score the winner as well.

"The price tag doesn't really matter. Whether it's £72m or £5m, you just need a moment to show everyone, the Arsenal fans, here I am.

"This is his day, this is his moment. We've been waiting for it quite long but we could see he had stuff. We could see he was fast, we could see he was skillful.

"I'm pretty sure that after tonight you will see a different Pepe to the last couple of months."

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown also backed Pepe to build on his super substitute showing. 

"Every player needs that moment, that turning point. Even for the Bergkamps, the Henry's, Robin himself. To settle, and hopefully now Arsenal can see what they paid for," he said. 

"£72m was seeming very expensive until tonight. But this is just the start hopefully, and how he takes it forward, he runs with freedom, he can express himself.

"I think, basically, he's kind of got that off his back now, that pressure, and he can release himself now and play."

Emery, who has come under fire in recent weeks for a string of under-par performances, also acknowledged the key contributions by his record signing as vital for his development within the club.

"It's important for Pepe," the Spaniard stated. "He can gain confidence from tonight. When he scores it's good for him and the team. He's getting better and he helped us tonight to win this match.

"Our aim in this competition is to top the group. Each match is a chance to use different players and grow experience and little by little get better. We didn't play like we wanted but we showed good spirit. It's a good victory.

"We have more information for the away game and for different players it was good to play tonight.

"Some players need experience and playing sometimes under pressure at this level and the first half we didn't play or control the match as we wanted and we were losing so with the substitutions we wanted to take control and impose more. We didn't play offensively like we wanted but again the players showed good spirit to come back after the first half."