Lacazette out to win it for Wenger after Old Trafford history lesson

ALEXANDRE LACAZETTE is 26 and only joined Arsenal last summer — yet he will not need to be primed on the club’s history to comprehend just how big Arsene Wenger’s final game as manager of the club at Old Trafford will be.

Like many French children of his generation, he grew up in love with Wenger’s Arsenal and relished the rivalry with Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United, encompassing incidents such as Pizza-gate and the KeaneVieira tunnel feud.

He clearly remembers Arsenal winning the title at Old Trafford in 2002 when he was 10 and recalls the mastery of the Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira team. Some players seem divorced from their club’s history but Lacazette appears to have been as connected growing up in Lyon as he would have been in London, which in itself is testament to Wenger’s greatness and his reach beyond the UK.

‘Since I was young I was dreaming about this kind of game, when Thierry Henry and everybody scored some goals,’ said Lacazette, who scored against Atletico Madrid on Thursday night in the 1-1 draw in the Europa League semi-final.

‘Of course I knew about the rivalry. I remember Sylvain Wiltord’s goal in the gold shirt [in 2002 to win the title]. I was a real fan. But now it is for me to play and have a good performance as well.

‘For every French person, Arsene Wenger is a great manager. He was 22 years in the club so he has a good image in France and for a player like me we want to finish well for him.

‘I saw him before I signed and we talked for a long time because it was a big decision to change my life. I’m always thankful to him because he believed in me to come from France and go to Arsenal.

‘It will be hard because I have never been to Old Trafford but I know every time you go there it is hard. When you play for Arsenal these kind of games come every three days — we’re having a lot of big games and little recovery but we just want to keep going and put on a good performance.’

Lacazette was Wenger’s first-choice as centre forward last summer for what was always going to be a decisive season. Just 16 goals so far this season would seem a mediocre return for a player who was a record signing for £53 million, though he has only started 30 games and has scored seven in the last seven appearances.

That the club subsequently bought Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for £63m in January was the first sign of Wenger’s declining influence and Lacazette accepts that, under a new manager, he will have to prove himself again.

‘Yes,’ he said. ‘That’s why we want to keep going and be good because we know that a new manager is coming, so maybe everything will change. We don’t know if everyone can stay in the club, we just want to do it well.’

And despite the missed opportunity, only drawing 1-1 against 10-man Atletico, Lacazette claims the squad maintains belief they can win at the Wanda Metropolitano on Thursday.

‘Everything is possible, of course,’ he said. ‘We know it will be hard because in their stadium they are really strong. Yes, we can win. But they can beat us. Everything is possible. We have to believe in ourselves and do it.’