Alexandre Lacazette reaches 50 Arsenal goals

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s new contract and Arsenal’s dealings in the transfer market have been the main news topics coming out of the Emirates recently. Therefore, you may have missed the news that Alexandre Lacazette reached a milestone over the past weekend. The Frenchman’s first half header versus West Ham not only gave his side the lead in the match, but it put Lacazette in the annals of Arsenal history.

The goal was Lacazette’s 50^th for the Gunners in all competitions. It makes him just the 15^th player to have scored a minimum of 50 goals for Arsenal. He is also now the fourth best French scorer for the club after Thierry Henry (228), Olivier Giroud (105) and Robert Pires (84). It took the striker 129 matches to record his 50^th goal. In that time, he also contributed 25 assists.

Lacazette’s future remains up in the air. It was expected that discussions over a new Arsenal deal were set to begin last season. Of course the campaign was interrupted by the shut down and so far, no talks have begun. The Frenchman has less than two years remaining on his current contract.

While it may play no part in whether Lacazette remains with the Gunners, it’s clear that he and Aubameyang have formed an excellent partnership. They work well together and have a mutual respect for each other. The pair are closing in on Newcastle United’s Ryan Fraser and Callum Wilson who have combined for 13 Premier League goals since February 3, 2018. Aubameyang and Lacazette have linked up 11 times over that same time period — since Aubameyang join the Gunners.

Following Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over West Ham, Mikel Arteta confirmed that Arsenal have yet to start negotiations over a new contract for Lacazette. The manager stated that the club are currently focused on “other things.”

In a recent interview with France’s L’Équipe Lacazette was asked about clubs that he has been linked with during the current transfer window.

Each summer, there is Atletico and my name in the same sentence. It is a bit annoying sometimes, but other times I learn things, which is funny. I learned that I called Antoine (Griezmann) to talk to him about Atletico, for example, by reading about it from someone who seemed to be more aware than me. This sort of thing can be a bit of a pain, but it is part of the job.

Asked whether he would like to move on, Lacazette said, “I am at Arsenal, I signed (in 2017) a 5-year contract to progress and win titles. I have two more to come. I am determined to stay.”

Lacazette has scored twice in two matches to start the 2020-2021 campaign after struggling in the second half of last season. Now that the uncertainty over Aubameyang’s contract has been dealt with, attention will shift to the Frenchman. A lot of what will be decided is up to Lacazette and how he performs on the pitch this season.