Turned out ice
LACA’S SCORING RECORD AT EVERY LEVEL IS INCREDIBLE.. HE DOESN’T MESS AROUND AND THAT’S WHAT WE NEED AT ARSENAL, SAYS COQUELIN
ALEXANDRE LACAZETTE is the “ice-cold” assassin who can turn Arsenal into champions.
The £52million club-record signing has been given a massive seal of approval by Emirates midfielder Francis Coquelin, who says his French compatriot will have Gunners fans recalling the glory days of Ian Wright.
Coquelin first met Lacazette when he was playing for France’s Under-17s and says that even then his new Arsenal team-mate looked a naturalborn finisher.
“Even at 17, he was always ice cold in front of goal and always scored a lot of goals,” said Coquelin
“He finished top scorer when we played in the Under-20s World Cup. And his record for Lyon is incredible..
“He scored 140 goals for them so he’s shown that in front of goal he doesn’t mess around – that’s just what we need.
“He scored 37 goals last season in 45 games and at Arsenal he will probably get even more chances.
“It is down to him to score them but I’m pretty sure he has come here with his confidence high.
“He doesn’t need many chances to score. I hope we will see that this season.”
The 26-year-old knew Lacazette was a genuine talent in the final of the 2010 Under-19 European Championships in France, which France won, beating Spain 2-1 in the final.
“He scored the winner and we won the Euros. That really stands out. The Euros was our first big trophy, it was massive,” he said.
“It was a very talented group. We had Antoine Griezmann and we had Gael Kakuta who at that time was a massive talent.
“So I’ve known him for a long time. He’s a goalscorer. He even showed it in our first game in pre-season.”
Lacazette has impressed on Arsenal’s pre-season tour, scoring in his first game in Sydney, and Coquelin says he has settled in well off the pitch too.
But Coquelin was reluctant to make comparisons with previous Arsenal strikers like Wright because Lacazette will make a name for himself in his own right. Coquelin (below) said: “It is difficult to compare him with others. “He is 26 now and I think he is done with comparisons. He has shown that he is Alex Lacazette and he can score goals. He can make a name for himself.
“Given the way he plays, people have said he reminds them of Ian Wright but he has his own style and hopefully he can show that this season.
“He’s quite shy. He doesn’t express a lot but as long as he is expressing himself on the pitch that is enough.
“He’s been doing it since I’ve known him, and is a nice lad as well. He can talk a bit of English and it’s good for him to settle in.”
Coquelin says Arsenal will be lifted by their FA Cup triumph in May and that can make a big difference to squad confidence this coming season.
Coquelin added: “We had a tough season last season but it was good to finish on a high, the FA Cup was massive for everyone. We finished on a high and we’re now really focused on the games coming up.”