Alexandre Lacazette has told reporters that he ‘could be happier” under Unai Emery, given his limited playing time and frequent substitution.
The player has been an extremely important part of Arsenal’s season, playing in either a pair with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang or as a lone striker. In 40 competitive appearances, the 27-year-old has scored 16 goals with an equally impressive 8 assists.
However, despite the French international’s record in front of goal, he has only completed 28 full games this season, often being substituted late in the game.
The striker revealed his supposed discontent under Emery in an interview with RMC Sport, reported by Metro, after the Gunners beat Napoli, saying
‘I am happy when I play, of course, like any player.
‘When I’m on the pitch, of course there is joy. On the field and off, I keep smiling. You have to smile in life.
‘I do one of the most beautiful jobs in the world, even if I could be even happier.’
Signing for the club in 2017, Lacazette has been one of the first names on the team sheet for some time, yet with Emery’s extremely inconsistent starting 11, in the last 10 games, the Frenchman has only played 90 minutes in 2.
Many fans will understand the player’s upset given that he is frequently taken off at around the 60th or 70th minute. This is often when games start to become more interesting for strikers and when a large portion of goals are scored.
It is somewhat understandable why Lacazette is taken off by Emery repeatedly. Arsenal’s squad is very large and with Aubameyang, Ozil and Iwobi all fighting Lacazette for top spot, it can be hard to keep everyone happy.
As well as a lot of attacking depth, competing in the upper levels of both the Europa League and the Premier League leaves little time for rest, and players like Lacazette who work hard on and off the ball have to be rested.
The player may not be the only one who isn’t happy about his lack of playing time, fans often say the best formation plays 2 strikers with Aubameyang and Lacazette creating an unstoppable force. We can only hope Emery listens to the player’s concerns to avoid losing a star this summer.
