Even though the Arsenal and France international star Alexandre Lacazette was on for his first hat-trick for the Gunners on Thursday night, and with the amount of chances being created against CSKA Moscow you felt it may well come, Arsene Wenger replaced the striker with around 20 minutes of the game still to play.
You could see the disappointment etched onto the face of the Frenchman as he sat on the bench but afterwards in his interview KLacazette accepted the situation and he clearly understands his role as a team player. Hopefully, though, it will also help to fire him up for the Premier League match at home to Southampton.
Having not played the full 90 minutes, the former Lyon forward should be fine to start against the Saints, if Wenger wants him to, and that should see Lacazette start up front with his new team mate Pierr-Emerick Aubameyang and that is something that the Arsenal fans have been longing to see.
Aubamaeyang may well be pushed out to the left to accommodate Lacazette in the centre but the Gabon international can do great things coming off the flank and I think Lacazette is the more natural centre forward, so it could turn out to be the perfect system, with Ozil on the right creating chances for the two strikers.
Lacazette, reports Metro, is certainly keen to play with Aubameyang and reckons they are different enough to function together, while also being clearly grateful for the Gabonese striker’s generosity in letting him score from the spot against Stoke.
He said, ‘He is different player, he loves the space and I’m a player who loves to get the ball to my feet.
‘I think we can be good together. Auba is a nice guy and, after the first penalty [against Stoke], he told me, ‘If there is another one I will give you the ball’, so it was nice from him.
‘It was good for my confidence. It shows that, even if we are strikers, we can think about everyone in the team and we are not focused only to score goals.
‘I know I can do more but I need more time because it is really different than with Lyon
‘It is better and better every day. A few times before the surgery I felt pain and after I decided with the medical staff it was the best solution.
‘It was really frustrating but now I don’t regret it. The surgery is in my past so now I can play 100% and I am happy.’
I for one cannot wait to see how Laca and Auba will perform together, but will us Gooners get the chance tomorrow?
Bob.
Lacabloodclatzette on the double tomorrow! ION, where did JembutArsene go? I’d pay to see him square it off with Jon Fox on this website…lol.
What about Remember Resource and Kev, the transfer specialist that swore Lemar had already signed with us? ? ??
Lol! They were frauds! Just like Leo, C.J, The return of C.J and all of the others who claimed and continue to claim to be “In The Know”.
They should’ve trusted the horse.
*Arsenal Horse for those who don’t know
@kev or @Remember Resource? was right about Lacazette and Aubameyang transfers. He was also almost correct about Lemar
I bet he would show up again after the World Cup. Hopefully he would bring a good news about Adama Traore, Tanguy Ndombele or Leon Bailey this time
I was the first to predict Lacazette, I said it before the season was over. I reckon we are getting Lacazette this summer is what I said. Then when everyone knew Wenger was speaking to him and a director came over to Emirates, re-source popped up, he was late but he threw in Lemar so to try and get at least one prediction. He was wrong, BOT 1 Re-source 0
I accept the challenge, provided YOU PERSONALLY pay us a large fight fee first(as done in pro-boxing).
I hope Lacca & Auba both start…and one of them doesn’t make way for Iwobi..
I’m hoping for another good game, more goals & more assists please Ozil
it give us extra options….playing them together and individual…
different tactics for different team
Laca
Auba – Ozil
Jack – Rambo
Xhaka
Back 4
Cech
*Lacazette and Aubameyang can swap and interchange
It certainly seems like both these lads like each other and are easy playing together. They are several leagues ahead of our other striker , the likeable boy next door Danny Welbeck, who is though, not in their class. Then we have young Eddie, who may or may not ever make the grade but is clearly only a fringe player right now. So IF YOU HAD ELTON JOHN AND ROD STEWART( when much younger) turn up at your daughters wedding and offer to entertain, would you instead choose her two uncles who sing down the local Karaoke? And nor should Wenger, assuming Laca is now fully fit. PS. I still admire Elton and Rod these days and think them as good as ever, but I digress!
i think the only way the emirates stadium can be filled up again this season is if Cazorla returns…he has more arsenal fans than akb and wob combined…every arsenal fan will want to see him again
cazorla has not gotten the chance to play with our two top strikers(lacazette and aubameyang)…laca,auba,rambo,ozil,mkhi and cazorla..OMG LOOK AT THAT!!!!!
Is Carzola ever coming back…?! ?
Ohhh how much I’ve waited for it…! ?
Imagine how many chances he do create for Auba and Laca and how great a Pair he’d make with Xhaka…!!!
Oh Lovely Carzola where art thou! ???
i sincerely envy our next manager..look at the attacking weapons he would have..laca,auba,mkhi,ozil,rambo,wilshere(on his day he is awesome) and cazorla…in there he has two of the best strikers and playmakers in the world…he just needs to sort out the defensive part of our game..and maybe get cska golovin to replace wilshere…..our next manager is seriously lucky.
Sorry but I have to disagree, at least with the expectation level, because of the club we are. We HAVE NO DEFENCE; NONE AT ALL and that is a gigantic task to bring one in and sell off all the present no hopers. You say “he just needs to sort out the defensive side of our game,” AS THOUGH ALL HE HAD TO DO WAS MAKE A CUP OF TEA OR MOW THE LAWN. Cazorla, though a wonderful player, will not be playing again for us, clearly at his age and after all he has been through. Even if he gets fit again , it is clear he will never again be the delightful player he was two years ago. Please face reality before writing overhyped silliness.
i don’t get you jon fox..why do you make it look like our defence is completely rotten…are bellerin,kolasinac,monreal,koscielny and mustafi really so bad??…let’s get a good manager that can coach them then after that we can make our judgement…no defender is born great..good coaching,guidiance and determination does that…did you know atletico madrid defenders before diego simeone?
Chiza, Yes, I DO think they are all rotten! Koscoielny WAS a very good, though not QUITE great CB, TWO years ago. But his chronic achilles injury and increasing age has regressed him noticeably. He is now mistake ridden like all the others. Look at our goals against and all the capitulations in away games. This lot couldn’t mark a tortoise. I agree a new manager- who we will very soon have- who can and will coach WILL EVENTUALLY sort out our defence. But all those present , Monreal apart, need replacing with better quality , ASAP. REALISM , NEVER HYPE, LIKE YOU HAVE DONE!
That was indeed a great gesture, what made it so good for me was the fact that these two players know that they are competition to on another.
They will play together, but there will be times when the form player must start or a formational change is required. Aubameyang does, no is ..a massive threat going forward even from the left wing. The thing is though, it’s a midfield position every bit as much as it’s a left sided striker.
He might not have the capability to go up and down that wing like a fullback, nor might he have the tackling ability, strength for duels or an aerial prowess. So going forward yes he’s cut out for that position, but I have a slight doubt about his midfield qualities.
Lacazette I’ve seen get stuck into players on a few occasion’s, I’ve seen him reading a ball and then trying to intercept it, he has stronger upper body strength than you’d imagine and he surprised me a few times.
I think he’d suit a wide role better in a ball playing team. Auba suits a counter attacking game best, Lacazette pointed out wisely, he (Auba) likes to run into the empty space. But the reason why Wenger sees Auba out wide and not Lacazette, is because Lacazette has good feet-work and Wenger likes strikers who can hold the ball up and bring others into play. He also likes wide players that have an after burner and a big scoring threat. But there is a few ways to look at these things, no one way is necessarily right.