Premier League is set to entertain an Eden Hazard turnover. The fans are to see a whole new Hazard with everything similar except face and complexion. Oh Yes! In Nicolas Pepe we are to experience the Eden Hazard of present era and a replacement of Madrid flown guy.
Ivory Coast has been kind enough to give Premier League match-winners. Be it the Chelsea legend Didier Drogba or the match-winners in Toure brothers. All have made a name for themselves. After them comes a 24-year-old youngster named Nicolas, wanting to achieve the same feat.
There are a zillion ways why I see Nicolas as a Eden Hazard successor in Premier League. Coming into Arsenal from Lille (yes, the same club from where Hazard was hatched by Chelsea), Nicolas has shown glimpses of Hazard within.
Just like Eden, Pepe is a winger. The French-born Nicolas has made headlines for an astonishingly amazing performance in the last season where he scored innumerable goals and provided valuable assists.
Like Hazard, Nicolas is a threat down the flanks. If you see him running through the line, be assured of a goal or chance being created. He likes to create chances by playing short passes, cutting inside from the outside and dribble his way in through by sneaking in defenders.
The stats of Hazard and Pepe are no far. Nicolas in his last season had attempted 3.4 shots per game, telling everyone about his hawk-eye vision. More than their goal-scoring abilities, both Hazard and Nicolas possess an aura of threat that makes them less viable and more difficult to stop.
The potential heir of Hazard’s dominance, Pepe is more or less the younger version of his Belgian predecessor. As electrifying as the Belgian, Nicolas should be able to emulate a lot of things that Eden could while playing for the Blues.
Last but not the least, Nicolas possesses an exceptional technique and intellect like the diminutive Belgian. Pepe’s artistry sprigs from the onset which looks more or less like a young Hazard dazzling on the field. The only difference between the two is a foot difference in their height. Eden is 5 foot dynamite while Pepe is a 6 foot robust.
If all the stats start speaking, Arsenal are up for a signing of their lifetime.
