‘Diego Costa at his best’ – Rewatching Ricardo Pepi’s goals to unlock secret to PSV striker’s stunning turnaround

Ricardo Pepi is in the form of his life, attracting plenty of interest and ready for the Champions League stage.

With AS reporting that some of the Premier League's biggest teams have been watching the USMNT striker, all eyes will be on him when PSV Eindhoven face Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday.

Since moving to Europe in 2021, the most goals Pepi has tallied in one season was 12 on loan with Groningen in 2022/23

This season, through 12 Eredivisie games, he already has nine having reached that number with a hat-trick at the weekend in PSV's 5-0 win over Groningen.

That follows an international break where he scored in each of the U.S.’s games against Jamaica and while many thought it would be Folarin Balogun, Hadji Wright, or Josh Sargent to lead the line in the Mauricio Pochettino era.

Pepi has now taken a stranglehold on the role. Still only 21 years old, we’ve taken a look at the secrets behind Ricardo Pepi’s flourishing season…

GOAL #1: August 24 vs Almere City

Pepi got his impressive campaign going with an instinctive finish, a typical striker’s goal, exactly what you want to see from your centre-forward.

While perhaps simple, Pepi, who at times has been wasteful in his young career, has needed to consistently flash this type of movement in the box and first-time finishing ability.

With his team already leading 6-1, PSV came forward again down the right flank as Pepi made a run towards the centre of the box. The movement is somewhat subtle but as the cut-back comes into the box, Pepi takes a hard step away from the two defenders in front of him, giving him just enough time and space to work a shot in the far corner.

GOAL #2: September 28 vs Willem II

While Pepi’s goal against Almere did nothing but pad the scoreline for an already secured three points, his brace away at Willem was crucial for PSV.

His first saw him rise highest at an in-swinging free-kick, perfectly glancing the ball in the far corner. Simple on the surface, it’s still the type of finish that Pepi would have possibly overthought a year or two ago.

Not on this occasion though, going for finesse over power to give PSV the lead. 

GOAL #3: September 28 vs Willem II

After giving his side the advantage in the 49th minute, Pepi confirmed all three points for his team 15 minutes later with another excellent striker’s goal.

Pepi played his striker’s role to perfection inside the box.

For the best forwards, the key is timing and movement in the box.  Pepi does both perfectly, starting the passage of play uninvolved at the far post before making a darting run inside to latch onto the low cross and find the back of the net.

GOAL #4: October 12 vs Panama

A fourth goal of the season for club and country and Pepi’s first for the U.S. in 11 months.

With the U.S. leading 1-0 late in second half stoppage time against Panama, Matt Turner’s long ball was turned into a devastating counter-attack that ended with the ball slid into Pepi’s path roughly 14 yards from goal.

As the ball falls to Pepi instead of shooting instantly, he takes an extra step to settle himself and regulate his stride before firing low past the goalkeeper.

The goal secured the first win of the Mauricio Pochettino era and played a solid role in helping cement his place in the Argentine’s team.

GOAL #5: October 26 vs PEC Zwolle

Back with his club team, Pepi was in the starting XI for his side’s clash at PEC Zwolle and he made his impact almost instantly.

It took only eight minutes for Pepi to score his 5th goal of the campaign, once again, with an impressive first-time finish.

There was nothing simple about his goal-bound touch, acrobatically twisting his body to latch onto a cross that was traveling behind him, volleying powerfully into the back of the net.

GOAL #6: October 26 vs PEC Zwolle

Pepi’s second against Zwolle made the score 4-0 and was his first goal on this list that required two touches.

Slipping in between two defenders he received the ball on the half-turn took a touch into the space ahead and curled a delightful finish into the far corner.

With two players available to him, Pepi looks up just once before putting his head down and making his move. Once again, a striker full of confidence in his own ability, showcasing the selfishness required to score goals consistently. 

GOAL #7: November 9 vs NAC Breda

Another one-touch finish, another quintessential striker’s goal.

On this occasion, the finish is easy enough, hit first-time through the keeper’s legs. But the magic comes in his movement to get into the position to finish in the first place.

As the ball is played in behind on PSV’s right side, Pepi immediately makes a darting run towards the box. His initial run sees him going in the direction behind the covering defender but at the last moment, he subtly changes his body shape to power in front of the defender leaving him for dead.

Goal #8 - vs Jamaica, Nov 14

A crucial goal for his nation, the only of the game as the U.S. beat Jamaica 1-0 in Kingston to set themselves up perfectly for the second leg in St Louis.

The finish is decent but as with the previous effort, the goal is created by Pepi’s movement. As Pulisic bears down on the Jamaica defence, a centre-back moves out of position to face the captain.

Pepi takes his chance, making the run into space vacated where Pulisic finds him, now with time to run one-on-one at goal.

The first touch gives his body enough time to prepare for the shot and he lifts his head before firing off the post and in. 

The key here is in how Pepi takes his time rather than rushing his shot, slowing his body and breathing down before shooting, the eventual effort controlled and confident.

GOAL #9: November 18 vs Jamaica

One area in which Pepi has supremely improved in this year is turning with the ball at his feet. It’s not only the speed in which he does so but the space he gives himself to then contribute with his next action.

His goal to make it 3-0 in the second leg against Jamaica is yet another example of this. Receiving the ball just outside the box with his back to goal, he fluidly turns with the ball before his second touch creates the space for to fluidly continue with his shot.

The shot itself, low and towards the far corner would possibly have been saved by an improved goalkeeper, but it’s the piece of play that sets up the shot which shows just how much progress Pepi has made over the past few months.

GOAL #10: November 23 vs Groningen

Perhaps his best goal of the season.

If the rest of his efforts showed impressive but relatively normal traits, then Pepi’s first against Groningen at the weekend had quite a bit of special about it.

Almost reminiscent of Diego Costa at his best, Pepi somehow evaded a headlock to beat a defender to a long ball before driving into the box.

Skipping past a last-gasp sliding challenge, Pepi chipped the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper and into the empty net.

GOAL #11: November 23 vs Groningen

In-form strikers, consistently make the right decisions to give themselves the best opportunities to shoot.

For his second against Groningen, he reacts to a poor attempted clearance but with all the space to his left, he surprises the poor defender tasked with stopping him by cutting inside.

Before the back-tracking Groningen player can react, Pepi has already shot, finding the corner with ease.

GOAL #12: November 23 vs Groningen

Once again, we’re back to focusing on Pepi’s impressive movement. As the ball gets played out wide to the player who will eventually claim the assist for the striker’s hat-trick goal, Pepi is outside the box.

As soon as the ball moves wide, Pepi makes his run, pointing to where he wants the ball.

He darts in between two defenders and when the cross duly arrives, he rises highest to head back across goal for his hat-trick.

There are no 'secrets' attached to Pepi's improved and impressive run of form. He is however, displaying a full package of traits that every striker dreams of.

Decision-making has gotten better while he's remaining patient in the right moments rather than snatching at chances.

His movement is central to all of this, giving Pepi the opportunity to find the right shots and score goals.

He's not getting lucky. He's getting better at doing the right things and that should only lead to more success.