Arsenal v Sydney review with Lacazette debut goal

The new Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette did not take long to get his Arsenal goal tally up and running, firing home an Alex Iwobi set up past the Sydney FC keeper Andrew Redmayne in the 83rd minute of the first pre-season game for Arsenal.

The France international striker had started on the bench but came on when Arsene Wenger changed the whole outfield team with 20 minutes to play. That late goal gave the Gunners a 2-0 win which really should have been bigger but a lack of sharpness in fr4ont of goal combined with some inspired defending and goalkeeping stopped Arsenal from adding to the early goal scored by Per Mertesacker from a corner in the 4th minute.

Danny Welbeck had a penalty saved by Redmayne which should never have been given in the first place and he, Walcott, Coquelin, Willock, Nelson and Bramall had plenty of good chances to score but could not take them. Lacazette looked sharp, as did the other summer signing Sead Kolasinac and there were some impressive performances from the young Gunners as well.

Obviously Arsenal will need to get sharper but that is what these pre-season games are all about and in general we played well, but the best thing by far was to see Lacazette hit the ground running and I am sure it will have done his confidence no harm whatsoever.

54 Comments

  1. well well some prospects coming thru 🙂
    good to see
    will look out for nelson – very impressed

    lacazette what 10-15 mins to get debut goal – yuuuuuu

    theo – no comment – ok one- never had football brain-never will have
    – i tried people- i tried

      1. harsh on welbeck
        remember him in final against chelsea?
        he is hard working and a handful- frees up space

        he looked shaky today but of those three- id keep welbz bro

          1. Walcott can score goals and fire up assists but doesn’t work hard.

            Welbeck works hard but lacks everything to produce goals.

            Both are at the end of their ropes!

            1. The perfect reason why stats don’t tell the whole story yet people always try to use it in their favour.Stats last season will tell us that Walcott should stay.But of course it stats.It’s just numbers which are facts but don’t describe the scenario to you.If you watch Walcott you’ll clearly see that he’s been poor.However for the same reasons why he should leave the same can be said for Giroud and Welbeck.All of them are inconsistent players and finishers.They all have serious problems which is why Lacazette might be our only hope of consistent goal scoring from CF position.

              1. Arsenal is the only supposed BIG European club that handles such obvious player defiencies with a pat on the back instead of a kick in the ass. The Bayerns, PSG’s and Barcas of the world would personally drive Giroud to Everton or Walcott to West Ham. Think Real or Juve would be sweating over Oxs contract situation when better players are available both internally and externally.

                If Arsenal could pocket $75-80 for three fringe players and add Lemar and Goretska I think most knowlegable Gunners fans would be over the moon.

                Or maybe this is finally the year Theo grows
                a futbol brain and Ox is able to stay out of the fitness room. I’ll wait with bated breath.

        1. Welbank never recieves the ball running at goal. He has all the attributes but not the ability. No better then Sonago

          1. “No better than Sanogo”.Exaggerate much?

            Wellbeck is way better than Sanogo.
            Wellbeck has scored important goals for us in the little time he has played for us and he has scored against the bigger teams like Man United when those goals most mattered.

            Are you OK?

            1. I believe Welbeck is much more in trouble than Giroud regarding Lacazette arrival.

              Giroud is too different to be a threat. They are going to be used in a very different way.

              But Welbeck, he is like Lacazette without composure. i do like him, he works really hard on the pitch. but the amount easy goal he misses is staggering. He should have scored 2-3 goals in FA cup final alone.

      2. Not all good footballers need to have “football brain”, Suarez & Jamie Vardy are examples who are not “football geniuses” but they really work hard like hell on the field & score goals!
        Theo was in brilliant form for club & country banging goals before his long term injury in January 2014… He just need to rediscover that old form which seems to be his main problem…

      1. walcott is an unreliable one trick pony. That said he will always outscore Welbeck, who is another average squad player, but he is much more well rounded than Theo, who can only run forward and attempt the same finish every time.

  2. Wot no video footage? ?? highlights of our goals would have been nice ??
    Big ups to BFG & LFG = Little French Guy.

    1. How many chances do Welbeck and Theo need??? Thank god we know have Lacca, good goal, great positioning when not on the ball. Some great young guns with Neilson the star, looks like Brady and Ozil combined. COYG

  3. That young man Nelson, WOW, an outstanding game, my advise to arsenal is to sign a new contract with him as soon as possible, so calm on the ball, full of energy and at several points was dictating the play, really interesting must see more of him.

    Willock and Bramall, two very interesting players, if both get playing time in the up coming season it will be nothing but good things for them. The quality can be seen in both players, verry good users of the ball and pace is a plus.

    Bielik looks like a defensive monster in the making, looks physically imposing (wish holding would have the same look).

    Our new boys did well, was not impress with our finishing, let us hope to see some improvement in the next game on saturday

  4. I didn’t expect him to score being his first game but happy and not surprised that he did score.

    The He¶¶ with Maureen. We have an excellent striker. More goals to come.

    Cheers to Mertsacker too.

  5. Good to see the lads back and my beloved Arsenal back again. And a nice start from Laca. But was it me or did Giroud did not hug Laca at the goal celebration? Anyways Viva Arsenal

    1. I’d be surprised if he did. Lacazette is essentially replacing him, and we may be saying goodbye to Giroud very soon unfortunately. But Lacazette is for sure an upgrade.

    2. I was also paying attention to him when Lacazette scored.He wasn’t really excited about Laca’s goal.But can you blame us for having Laca.Hopefully Laca’s time here will be more of a blessing not the opposite as seen from Arsenal’s strikers.

  6. U got to love Nelson, kid is class. You have “ferrari” willock for first team, and u have your big money signing, what else? Lacca lacca all day!!! The touch, the work rate, the goals, the fun, seems a bargain already!!! Bring on the season, just add Lemar.

  7. With Nelson, Niles and willock coming through u can see why wenger is not going mental to offer chamberlain a top deal and guarantees about a starting spot. I thought the ox looked angry??

    Also nketiah is a lacazette in the making, whilst walcott and welbeck yet again showed they are not strikers, with their woeful finishing in evidence yet again.

  8. just saying…… city are now serious contenders to sign mpape according to skysports! looks like Sanchez is staying put…. nice goal by laca….. #coyg

    1. hardly breaking news though. Every club in Europe has probably spoken to Mbappe in some fashion. I think he chooses to stay a Monaco, but we’ll see. Who would choose City over Real Madrid to be honest… But yeah, it’s good news about their attempts to sign Sanchez. It means we’re not selling.

  9. Lacazette scored GIROUD got angry,couldn’t celebrate with him….Well He just got himself a real competition

  10. I’ve learned from this match that we need Alexis on the left and we need to get Lemar.

    Walcott and Welbeck are okay with very good performances once in a while. one is not always hard working but has quality and the other is always hard working but less quality. Alexis and Lemar have both. (BTW I don’t care about missed penalty. The best players miss penalties. Also it’s a friendly)

    Walcott needs competition to keep him on top of his game.

    I have also been very encouraged by Bielik and Nelson. I liked how they perform. I think they are two to monitor for the future.

    1. thanks you are one of the few who judge walcott correctly and aren’t biased against him..

      1. LOL … the chairman of the uk branch of the whippet appreciation society excited at the thought of a second membe!!

    2. Wasn’t a penalty anyway; poor decision! Goalkeeper dived right way.

  11. we might finally have a player that doesn’t over complicate the art of finshing. What a performance from Nelson! Watch your back Iwobi, this kid is coming for you… You as well Theo

  12. Firstly I recommend all Gooners check out the comments made in the Sydney Morning Herald about the impact the Arsenal visit has had. SMH commended the class exhibited by Arsenal in holding the press conference, being available for interviews, training sessions for youngsters, approaches to the friendlies (players participating) etc. The comparison was made with the visit by Liverpool FC last year. See http://www.smh.com>Sport>Football.
    The replay of the game against Sydney United FC can be watched on “SBS on demand”.
    Great to see Lacazette score in his first game! Arsene Wenger named the Sydney FC goalkeeper man of the match!

  13. Great result for the confidence of the lads,never mind it was against sydney fc.Good to see some of the youngsters step up plus walcott and others had a fairly descent game tbh although they missed chances but still it’s pre season after a couple of months of holidays.Laca scoring was the highlight for me but somewhere in my mind I already knew him scoring was inevitable.Let us hope he scores loads of these not only now but over the course of the whole season to win us A TROPHY never mind those recent fa cups and community sheilds.But looks like the real deal already.

  14. Lacazette goal yaahhh. Little step over was great and works hard . On your face mourinho ?

  15. After viewing just the highlights of Arsenals match this morn I can unequivocally say that Walcott and the Ox could easily be deemed surplus to requirements this season. If Lemar is signed and specifically Nelson continues to impress during the preseason tour I don’t envision Wenger will guarantee minutes to either of the Englishmen and might be tempted to cash in on both. $50-60M would be good business and allow Arsenal to maybe add one additional player, perhaps a Goretska, Golovin or Carvalho.

  16. if Sanchez stays which position will lamer play….esp with the 3 man defense system…. really not sure of the lamer deal going through if Alexis stays….

  17. Dont tell me Giroud is hating already… Damn He looks disappointed af

    he needs to be sold ASAP. DON’T want Lacazette unsettled or uncomfortable.

    anyone seen Griezman tweet after that goal?

    Griezman to Arsenal next season . anyone ?

  18. Only seen the highlights but I’m glad Nelson is getting a chance with the 1st team. Heard amazing things about him and he’s only 17, hope him and Bielik are the next 2 youngsters to break into the 1st team squad.
    OT- Matic is on his way out of Chelsea but after the Lukaku deal they won’t be selling to United. Think he would be a fantastic signing for us. He is a proven winner, used to playing 3-4-3 and a solid, reliable ball winner that we have been crying out for. He isn’t as dynamic as Goretzka but Matic for £30-35m would represent good business.

    1. No. we can’t have two left footer as our DM And Cm . xhaka and Matic? Hell No. I’ll let him pass

      1. why can’t you have 2 left footed players but 2 right footed players e.g. Cazorla and Coquelin is fine? Never quite understood that.

  19. Not a bad first half. Second half was like watching the old Arsenal at times. Trying to overcook the broth by attempting too many cute passes when the obvious and killer pass was on. Ball sometimes like a hot potato with passes going astray (especially Elneny). Passing or should I say, desperately stabbing the ball to a player when he’s already in a tight position with little or no space (part of the hot potato syndrome). Players running every which way with no collective structure and hoping that it would all work out right in the moment.

    This is the stuff we saw when Arsenal were up against a good quality champions league side or a determined Stoke or Watford that were able to nullify and frustrate us, causing us to panic and lose our heads and ideas.

    Even though it was a relatively easy Aussie side, Arsenal should’ve been a class or four above them and the class in gulf should’ve been evident. I thought we had given up on providing the comedy of errors and light hearted entertainment and was becoming a successful football team!

    Also, I hope Wenger doesn’t think that just because he’s got a couple of good players in to add to our team that he can start to be clever and cavalier by putting out versions of an experimental side rather than playing the most strongest and prolific eleven in every game, as far as injuries and suspensions allow him. Even if that means resigning some players that can’t cut the mustard, to the bench. No more arsing around trying to prove that every player you’ve got is capable of being on the pitch when they clearly ain’t. The strongest, proficient, efficient and prolific XI every opportunity. Start to get cocky and messing the team up with strange alchemy is only gonna see us return to our old selves……….again !

  20. Well done to the young guns, they done us proud today, looked professional and given us supporters something to get excited over.

    Nketiah deserves some praise, if Laca hadn’t got that goal then Nketiah looked like he would have pounced on it, didn’t impose himself as much as he could have but shown a good hunger and one to keep an eye on as well.

    Nelson was just wow.
    We have seen him do stuff like that but doing it in the 1st team like he did was great, some kids don’t step up but he looks ready to fight for a spot this season. I was reading about Lemar and I actually thought “Meh, Nelson might do better if given the chance instead”… I need to remember he is a kid though 😛 don’t want to pile the pressure on him and break him but his performance really made me question Lemar signing rumors!! LOL!

    Willock done brilliant in the middle as well, shown some steel and good timing in his sliding tackles, quick feet to skip past a player… Cazorla replacement in the making here. Shame we lost his brother but from what we seen today, we kept the better one ^.^ Again, another kid and need to keep ourselves grounded but hey, nice to get excited about youth prospects ^.^

    1. Don’t get ur hopes too high bro, it may come back to hurt you. Sanogo scored 4 goals in one of our previous pre season matches.

  21. Ah, gutted, why are we no more talking about Thomas lemar, we need his creative and zeal to move the ball forward ability in this arsenal team. Let’s not overlook the team’s lapses because of the joy of lacazette. This is typical wenger, why didn’t he pay his asking price…………city will pay 50mils for walker, y can’t he pay 50mils for the guy. Wenger the ditherer overlooking our needs again because of his stupid valuation of players

  22. i am just think a guy like walcott not only costs 140k/week but also taking playing time from young players like Iwobi.
    Out of Walcott, Welbeck and Giroud only Giroud is hot in the market with many clubs after him. that says all. I dont think Westham pays 20 mill for Walcott. just sell him and get rid of this deadwood.

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