When Arsene Wenger signed Lucas Perez forArsenal in the final days of the summer transfer window, it answered the prayers of many Arsenal fans who had been calling for the boss to sign a new striker for the last few years! Arsenal fans had been left unsatisfied with the club’s front line of attack and with Olivier Giroud simply not cutting it on a big time scale, and Theo Walcott failing to make the switch fromthe wing last season, the fans were desperate for Wenger to add to his options up front.
Lucas Perez was by no means the club’s first choice, after moves for Vardy, Higuain, Mahrez, Morata and Lacazette all failed to materialise. But Lucas, who was a £17 million signing from La Liga side Deportivo, seemed like a viable option to add to the Gunners attack. The only problem is that since his big money move to the Premier League, Lucas has failed to really get a chance to show what he’s all about. A league cup appearance including two goals, a single Premier League start and a few cameo appearances is all he has to show for his first month and a half in North London, suggesting that perhaps he isn’t quite hitting the heights Wenger may have hoped for in training.
What makes the situation worse is that the club’s main striker, Olivier Giroud, has also failed to make more than a few appearances for the side this season, with Wenger instead preferring to keep Alexis Sanchez up top for now. Giroud has been struggling with injury problems, whilst Lucas has also suffered with a slight niggle a few weeks back, but the Spaniard is fit again and ready to make his mark on the team.
He got his chance tonight in the Gunners third Champions League match of the season. With the team in winning form it was going to be hard for Wenger to change a winning formula, but Wenger took the opportunity to rest Alexis Sanchez for the last half hour this evening and give Lucas a chance to impress once again.
Lucas looked solid and supplied two very classy crosses that ended up as assists, but we cannot expect him to become the club’s main frontman overnight with Walcott and Sanchez in such brilliant form, but he should certainly be giving Arsene Wenger more options in his selection choices, especially as he looked to be a great winger this evening.
Let’s hope we get to see some more of our new striker in the near future, because hopefully he’ll follow the same path as our other summer signings and prove to be another excellent buy. He hasn’t been given many chances so far but perhaps he could challenge Oxlade- Chamberlain and Iwobi for place on the left wing after his excellent contribution this evening.
We certainly are looking like we have some excellent players in reserve if – God Forbid – we get any serious injuries to our front men.
Has everyone been impressed with his attitude so fa ror am I the only one?
By AH
I think he needs a couple 5 matches to get in sync with the rest of the squad. Otherwise, I liked his runs, vision and passing skills. Got some pace on him too.
*On the other side. I was majorly impressed with their defender Palomino. For a big guy, dude is quick. Their forward Cafu looked interesting also.
Do you think we should buy them and add them to our Arsenal?
@Twig
They’re both promising players. But I would prefer Palomino. Read somewhere that Leicester City and a few other teams are interested in Cafu…
This season in Premier League, EFL Cup, La Liga and Champions League, Perez got:
3 goals, 4 assists in 3 starts and 2 substitute appearances. That is lethal.
Subbing Theo and Alexis off would suggest they will start against M’brough as well. I think Iwobi will return as well. I don’t think there will be much changes compared to side that played Swansea, although I would like to give Gibbs a run, he seemed composed last night and whipped in few dangerous crosses.
last night you could feel that the crowd wanted perez to score so much!!
Once Welbeck returns we will have 2 genuinely quick players for each of the “front 3” positions.
Walcott, alexis, iwobi, chamberlain, welbeck, perez.
Add to that akpom and we have further cover. Quite where that leaves the slow options of Sanogo and giroud is anyone’s guess.
In ozil and ramsey I think we have 2 genuine options for the no.10 role. With Adelaide adding further cover.
In coquelin, cazorla, xhaka and elneny we have 4 great options for the central midfield roles. In zelalem we have further decent cover.
In bellerin, jenkinson, mustafi, Mertesacker. Koscielny, Gabriel, Monreal and Gibbs again we have 2 great options for each position in the back 4. With Holding offering further decent cover. Quite where that leaves Debuchy is anybody guess.
Finally. We have 2 world class keepers, in Cech and ospina. With Martinez offering a very good 3Rd option.
This squad is looking complete. I think I would look to offload the 3 French players. Sanogo, giroud and Debuchy. Bringing in another dynamic but preferably taller striker and allowing Mertesacker and welbeck to return to the champions league squad.
Well said and I agree with you. Sanogo and Debuchy are out this Winter Transfer. Giroud has his uses. Where we have teams defending like Burnley we could use him for all the corners and physical hold up play needed to break them down. I think his role will be of the bench. He did that so well at the start of last season.
I am excited to see Welbeck and Ramsey back soon. From our Academy players I think this will be JRAs season to break into first team. Wilock is too soon.
I’ve been giroud’s biggest critic as we will never win the league with him alone , but as back up …. He will always be very good back !
That burnley game was crying out for us to go direct into Giroud , he is still needed IMO !
Not much of a Cazorla fan are you eh?
Talk of cazorla any news on his injury? Would be gutted to loose him
I truly hope so
We will need him as we are still in all 4 competitions
However, Alexis, Iwobi, Theo and Ox have all been playing well so competition is fierce this season. Which is a great thing imo
I was a bit disappointed he didn’t get a goal against a poor Ludo team. He does however have 2 goals and 2 assists to his limited Arsenal season so far. I don’t imagine he was expecting more game time (barring injuries- touch wood) as he was scheduled to be Lukaku’s understudy for the season and he wasn’t too disappointed with that prospect. I expect him to start at Reading and the FA Cup matches from January- a good settling in period will do him good.
now I get why they said he is the Laliga version of Vardy… dude is freaking fast.
it’s a pity Alexis upfront is turning to such a revelation like Messi upfront.
.
But Lucas should be given more gametime probably from the bench.
…. Walcott,Bellerin,Iwobi,Alexis,Ox, now Lucas so much pace
We played well, Ozil was impressive, 3 goals and 2 assist, Coquelin awesome as per usual, Sanchez and Walcott goals were things of beauty, Ox demonstrated why he is considered to be a serious talent, Perez showed some of what he can do, Ospina did give them any opportunity to get any confidence and the team was ok in general.
I do however have concerns about some simple errors that gives our opponents a chance to score, Mustafi and Kos still have some tightening up to do, because some of those errors in the match reminded me of some that happen against PSG, we still can do better and must do better.
The last is just a comment made by Keane and Ferdinand criticising a player because he scored his first 3 goal haul in a competitive competition and posting this accomplishment on the social media, seem to irritate these wonderful professionals.
I would just like to say to these wonderful professionals that we are no longer in the dark ages of dinosaurs, where the means of communication with your love ones was fire and drums , we are now in a time where social media is in every facet of the workplace, where we can inform our family, friends and fans of your accomplishments by just a swipe of a finger on your smart device, image like that give us the fans a sense of euphoria that may just last for a couple days, but at least it will take your mind of the daily stress for a while.
In Jamaica we have just 2 words for those wonderful professionals, you too BADMIND AND RED EYE (those who wish no good for others and those who only want good for their own)
Lucas came to arsenal at the right time. there is a lot of competition for positions currently and only the best will prevail. However, judging by what he has done in the few matches he has played, he is no pushover and if the likes of Iwobi and Ox fail to focus then he might just leap into the team ahead of them.
Good times!