Arsenal: Alexandre Lacazette adaptation promising and yet requires patience

Speaking ahead of Arsenal’s trip to West Bromwich Albion, Arsene Wenger stated that Alexandre Lacazette is still adapting to the Premier League. The process, while making a promising start, still requires patience.

The Premier League is a unique and challenging experience. Although the top teams may not have the other-worldly ability of Barcelona or Bayern Munich, as a competitive division, it towers over its European rivals. That is, in large part, down to the unique physicality of the league, especially of the lesser sides.

Teams like West Bromwich Albion, Crystal Palace and Swansea do not roll over the same way that a middling Spanish or German team do. Because of that, players who have had little to no experience of English football before arriving on these shores can encounter challenges early on, as they try to adapt to a changing and vastly different style of play.

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That is where Arsenal and Alexandre Lacazette find themselves. Although two early goals suggest that he is beginning to flourish in England, there is still lots he has to learn and develop, as Arsene Wenger pointed out on Thursday morning. Speaking ahead of Monday night’s trip to the Hawthorns to face the aforementioned West Brom, who are a notoriously difficult team to play against, Wenger stated that Lacazette has adapted to the style of his teammates, but not to the athletic challenges of the Premier League:

"“I believe he has, first of all, adapted to the team play, he connects well with the other players, he is disciplined, he works hard for the team and on the technical and tactical aspect, I am very pleased. He still needs to adapt to the physical aspect of the Premier League and that will take a little bit of time, but on the other fronts there is no problem at all.”"

And that is a fair statement to make. While his goals against Leicester City and Bournemouth — a glanced header into the bottom corner; a precise, curled finish from just outside the penalty area — did show a clinical streak to his goalscoring exploits, against Chelsea last weekend, David Luiz was able to bully him.

The Brazilian, who is one of the better defenders that Lacazette will face this season, exploited his greater size, strength and pace (over longer distances) to harass the Frenchman’s touch and cover his runs in behind.

Although Lacazette was still able to slip his attentions here and there, and did offer a focal point with his back to goal at times also, for the most part, Luiz was in control. It is against those type of defenders that Lacazette will have to learn how to dismantle. He cannot simply expect to be stronger or quicker or sharper than opposing players; he must also be smarter, cannier and technically more proficient.

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His start to life in North London has been promising. He is beginning to adapt to his new club, new teammates and new competition. But there is also the need for patience. It is a process that takes time, even in the increasingly hasty and demanding world of modern football.

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