Wenger says Lacazette can bounce back

ARSENE WENGER accepts that Alexandre Lacazette’s confidence may have been affected by the signing of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but backed him to get through it.

The summer signing from Lyon has been relegated to the bench in the two games since Aubameyang signed and he missed two great chances after being brought on against Tottenham on Saturday.

Lacazette (right) put the ball wide in the last meaningful action of the game, when he probably should have scored, minutes after blazing a volley over from a good position.

“For him, one against one with the goalkeeper, he is a good goalscorer,” Wenger said. “He has gone through difficult periods before. He works hard in training, works on his finishing. I don’t know what happened, did he not touch the ball well?

“It can happen, it is a fraction of a second. Maybe the confidence is not at its highest because he has seen a competitor coming in for him.”

Wenger did point out that Lacazette’s other work was productive and he asked people to give him a chance.

“He created two chances today. That is a quality as well. He will score goals. He is a goalscorer, he scored goals in his whole career. He will score again.” Having used his fringe players in the Europa League to this point, Wenger confirmed that he intends to be at full strength for Thursday’s Euopa League tie in Sweden against Ostersund, as winning that competition might well be their best chance to return to the Champions League. “We have to win the next game. Our record away from home is the worst since I’m in England.

“But I would have gone for it anyway because there is no reason why I should rest any of our players.” (© Independent News Service)