ALEXANDRE LACAZETTE was named captain for Arsenal’s 3-0 Europa League win towards Molde – but it surely did not look to provide him a lot of a confidence increase.
The French striker was the quietest of all the Gunners out in Norway and seemed a shadow of the once-prolific finisher we used to see.
Alexandre Lacazette is struggling to recapture his kind for ArsenalCredit score: Getty Photographs – Getty
Lacazette performed simply behind Eddie Nketiah up the sector, however he didn’t hyperlink midfield with assault, and ended up being subbed off late on.
There was no objective for the 29-year-old Lyon-born star, and he seemed annoyed when he was changed by Emile Smith Rowe.
Lacazette was closely linked with a transfer to Atletico Madrid in the summertime, regardless of boss Arteta and the player himself insisting he was happy at the Emirates.
However his efficiency out in Norway didn’t resemble that of a hungry attacker champing on the bit to impress.
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Nketiah had a poor recreation up entrance, so Lacazette could have been hoping Arteta would swap issues up and push him into his favoured central putting function.
However that did not occur.
Because it turned out, rookie ahead Folarin Balogun got here on up high and scored his first-ever objective together with his first contact simply 37 SECONDS after approaching.
Whereas that can show the sweetest of moments for the 19-year-old American, it might become one other nail within the coffin of Lacazette’s Arsenal profession.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta may very well be set to chop his losses with LacazetteCredit score: Reuters
Captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will SURELY be pushed centrally sooner or later, leaving Lacazette to rival Nketiah and now Balogun for one more spot within the group, or perhaps simply the bench.
Atletico went and accomplished the sensational switch of Luis Suarez from Barcelona, so now that door seems slammed shut.
Roma could be an option, with Arsenal repotedly rejecting a bid from the Italians in the summertime.
Lacazette is now with out a objective in his final six video games throughout all competitions for Arsenal.
He was slammed by Gunners legend Paul Merson recently for his workrate, as he urged Arteta to begin enjoying Aubameyang within the center quite than out extensive.
Alexandre may very well be all out of ‘lac’ quickly – however potential suitors won’t be as eager as they as soon as had been.