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Arsenal: Lucas Perez Stakes His Rather Significant Claim
Lucas Perez was excellent in Arsenal’s win over Sutton. He is now staking a rather significant claim to start, one that Arsene Wenger should not ignore.
After a troublesome few weeks in which Arsenal saw their faint Premier League and Champions League hopes scuppered, Monday night brought, in rather unconvincing fashion it must be said, a calming and soothing result.
Related Story: Arsenal Vs Sutton: Player Ratings
The 2-0 win over non-league Sutton United saw Arsene Wenger’s side ease into the quarter-finals, where they will again face non-league opposition when Lincoln City come to the Emirates, and now puts the Gunners in prime position to win the FA Cup for the third time in the past four years.
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There were some individually promising performances throughout the team, most of all, being Lucas Perez spearheading the attack in Alexis Sanchez’s absence. There have been rumours that the Spaniard was looking to leave North London in the summer after a debut Premier League season plagued by niggling injuries and inconsistent playing time. In the aftermath, feigned quotes from his agent surfaced suggesting that Perez would do everything possible to force an exit but, since then, his agent has rejected such quotes, reiterating his client’s intention to honour his contract:
"“Lucas has a contract with Arsenal, he wants to succeed there and as any professional wants to play. When one does not play [one] is not happy, but we knew this is difficult. [He has a] long contract.”"
Starting for the first time since the five-goal demolition of Southampton in the previous round of the same competition, Perez continued to display a nous and intelligence in the final third that brings a great fluidity and interchangeability to the Arsenal attack that few others in the squad can facilitate.
His goal was a smart finish, playing a low cross-shot, curled towards the far post, utilising the darting near-post run of Theo Walcott to distract the goalkeeper, but his display was far more than just his goal. He showed a neat first touch to hold up play, ran the channels excellently throughout, showing a nice turn of speed and was diligent in tracking back, especially shortly after losing the ball himself.
Next: Arsenal Vs Sutton: 5 Things We Learned
It was a consummate display from Perez, one of many that is added to a growing collection, suggesting that he is deserving of more opportunities in the future. Perez is staking his claim to start in more established games and it is a rather significant one.