Alexandre Lacazette must use Europa League tie to his advantage
By Kian Long
Alexandre Lacazette has scored one goal in his last thirteen matches for Arsenal
It wasn’t Arsenal’s day at the office in their recent league meeting with Tottenham Hotspur. The Gunners failed to take any points away from Wembley Stadium, with Alexandre Lacazette being the spotlight of criticism.
After being bought on as a substitute, the Frenchman was given two great chances to equalise, with one being blasted into row Z and the other just far of Hugo Lloris’ far post.
He’s certainly a striker running low on confidence, which is why many are arguing the criticism he’s been receiving is unfair. After all, since he was introduced to the match, the Gunners looked more likely to score. It just wasn’t their day.
Being Arsenal’s record signing at the time, Alexandre Lacazette was bound to be under a lot of close scrutiny. The Frenchman hit the ground running, scoring in the first couple of minutes of his Premier League debut. Since then he failed to live up to the standards he set himself.
Perhaps he was jaded by the arrival of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, which he why he’s been benched in recent matches. However, there’ll be no reason in Arsenal’s next two fixtures against Ostersunds. As we know, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is unable to feature in Arsenal’s Europa League knockout squad.
More from Arsenal FC
- Gunners do just enough to claim victory in season opener
- Arsenal: We bottled it but I don’t care
- Arsenal complete record deal for Declan Rice
- Arsenal splurges on transfers as they aim to collect silverware
- Arsenal complete the signing of Kai Havertz
This means that Alexandre Lacazette can win back not only the hearts of the fans, but also the heart of Arsene Wenger. The French boss looked particularly heartbroken when Lacazette’s second chance squandered wide.
Lacazette is yet to feature in the Europa League for Arsenal. However, with Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott parting ways, he and Danny Welbeck are the only notable strikers eligible for Arsenal. The Europa League know what Alexandre Lacazette is made of, after his time with Lyon.
The pressure won’t be as high as it was during the North London derby. Presuming Lacazette features from the start, he’ll want to make an instant impact.
Next: Ozil has a new good luck charm
We all know Alexandre Lacazette is a top striker, but sometimes it takes players time to acclimatise to a new league. Do you think he will score in the Europa League tie?