It remains to be seen what Arsene Wenger does with the new Arsenal striker Lucas Perez on Tuesday after the Spaniard endured a pretty miserable Arsenal debut in the Premier League win over Southampton. But if the Frenchman was looking for options up front as we head to Paris to face the French champions PSG in the Champions League, he could do worse than look to the striker in form for the Gunners at under 23 level.
Lucas has been added to the UCL squad after Wenger signed him just before the international break started and he may feel that European football will be more suited to a player coming from Spain’s La Liga, but he may also want to take the new man out of the firing line.
I expect Arsenal to start with the tried and tested combination of Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez, with either Walcott , Iwobi or the Ox on the right but if he needs to replace the big Frenchman in the centre for any reason, I would like to see him give young Chuba Akpom a go.
The 20-year old has good pace and techical ability and will be full of confidence after scoring twice and setting up the other as the Arsenal under 23 team beat Derby County on Friday, which you can read the full report of on the Arsenal website.
Akpom has scored goals at a good rate in his international games for England and did well for Arsenal in pre-season, so do you think he should at least be on the bench for the PSG match?
Bob.
I hope Perez scores 20+ goals but Wenger made a HUGE gamble
I support him 100% but you can’t expect him to play like a Top class striker if he isn’t one
This is the position Wenger has put us in by not signing a Top Striker this summer and waiting till 2 weeks before the window closes to sign an unproven 28 year old who had one very good season
Wenger hasn’t won a PL trophy for 13 years and never won the CL
What makes this year any different?
Wenger has ALWAYS been OVERRATED.
He inherited Viera and many of the invincibles. He would NEVER have signed Viera as he hates defensive midfielders. When the invincibles left Wenger didn’t win a PL Trophy for 13 years and counting
You don’t know your Arsenal.
@Arsenal_Girl
It’s like you cut and pasted this foolishness from elsewhere…Think you better do more research on your so called team.
Hahaha ?
The Gooner Lad side of her, got the better of him ?
And you guys still think that its really a Girl . LOL ?
@FbG
He couldn’t help himself…
@NYG
Don’t expect due diligence from Arsenal Girl.
It’s hard to do research when you’re blinded by “Wenger Hatred”
Wenger beacame manager of Arsenal in 1996 and the first two players he bought to the club were Viera and Petit who ruled the premiership and won the league. For Ten (10) long years Wenger has sold our best players to help pay off the stadium debt and since then he has slowly started to build a squad of players that so for this season most fans have said are good enough in quality and depth to challenge for the premiership and improve our position in the Champions League. There was a time when Wenger was treated like a god and those who berate him now will one day thank him for the job he has done for this club as his legacy will still be standing here when most of us are dead.
@Arsenal Girl
Of the Invincibles Squad, he inherited Bergkamp and promoted Cole.
You’ve really shown your ignorance, today……..Congratulations!!!!!!!!
Please stop posting. I can’t handle this level of stupidity without alcohol.
Up the Gunners!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Giroud will play, that’s why he was rested. Arsene must see the PSG game as the bigger game, I don’t see it that way. Giroud was always going to be the main striker still, throwing Perez in when he’s clearly not ready was unfair, having him try and forge an understanding with Ox and Theo so early in a big match was an iffy call. I think the fact it’s PSG is why Arsene done it. He’ll sorely want to beat them with them being France’s best, che finding them a difficult opponent will make it even sweeter.
If you’re going to slag off the best Arsenal manager of all time, at least get your facts right.
Wenget, signed most of the invincibles and deserves 100% credit for that achievement.
Look at our amazing squad, Wenger is a victim of his own success.
Fan for 32 years.
After just over 60mins into his arsenal career, lucas perez has gotten more flaks than the entire english core over the course of a season.. bigotry at its very best.
I’ve made my mind up, I don’t like you. Am I a bigot?
I doubt that Akpom will be in the squad for the PSG game.
He will more than likely get a run out against Nottingham Forest.
Poor Perez, thrown in at the deep end and now the lions are having him for tea. Give him some time FFS, he’ll come good. Used to be a time when players were given 6 months or even a season to gel with their new team mates and that wasn’t even joining from a foreign club.
P.S. YES Akpom should be given a chance in the first team as the boy knows where the goal is.
Three goals in 1800 minutes for hull in the championship last season. I like akpom but do not think he is ready for the first team in the Champions League.
I doubt Akpom will be used for this game, actually looking for more perez, he made a lot of runs but was just not found by our ball handlers, would love to see a sanchez, perez and walcott attacking trio, against the PSG defenders
@jamaican goner, I couldn’t agree more , the “British core” seem to get a pass.
Southampton were sat deep and therefore no room for perez to run into and tbh our midfield and wingers were shocking first half he did not have any supply. He should have been a sub and put on with 20mins to go, wenger to blame for that one im afraid.
I actually think the Psg game would have suited him better, slower pace, more technical and Psg will be wanting to play therefore space in behind which may be better suited for him.
I love Akpom as much as i love the OX/Theo,the only problem with these 3 is that they just cant seem to find the second gear,unlike Iwobi who is very dependable