Premier League 2019-20: 5 best performers from Matchday 16

#2 Nicolas Pepe (Arsenal)

West Ham United v Arsenal FC - Premier League

Nicolas Pepe came to Arsenal with a massive load on his shoulders, as he was Arsenal's record signing at £72 million. The Ivorian struggled to adapt to the Premier League in his first few weeks, and the fact that he missed out on pre-season with the squad did not help his cause either.

The pressure started mounting on Pepe, and the Arsenal fans let him know their feelings through social media as well as several memes on how he has "flopped" in England. But last night, Pepe re-discovered his form in no uncertain terms.

Arsenal went a goal down against West Ham but goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang along with a screamer from Pepe, all inside 9 minutes of football, sealed a brilliant comeback win for the Gunners. And Pepe stole the show in style.

It is not just about the number of goal contributions the 24-year-old has made; it's also about how well he has accepted his critics and outgrown them.

Pepe was dropped regularly under Unai Emery, and Freddie Ljungberg did not prefer him over Alexandre Lacazette either. But last night Ljungberg presented him with his first start in nearly 30 days, and Pepe made the best use of it by bagging a goal and an assist.