‘Works really hard’, ‘very intelligent’: Mikel Arteta raves about 5ft 9in Arsenal ace

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has waxed lyrical about Alexandre Lacazette amid reports linking the Gunners striker with a move away from the Emirates Stadium.

The France forward has, by his high standards, struggled for much of this season, netting just seven times in the Premier League prior to the suspension of English football.

After the restart, Lacazette found himself behind Eddie Nketiah as Arsenal’s first-choice centre-forward, but the youngster’s suspension has given the 29-year-old a way back into the XI.

Lacazette is now looking back to his best, having reached 10 Premier League goals for the season and captaining Arsenal to victory against Liverpool in midweek.

The 5ft 9in sharpshooter has recently been linked with the likes of Inter Milan, Juventus and Atletico Madrid, but Arteta made it clear that he rates his player highly.

“I really like Alex, I said that even before I joined here that he is the type of striker that I really like,” Arteta told the official Arsenal website.

“I think he had periods where he was very unlucky, because he was having the chances and not converting them which he is not used to.

“But the way he can link play, he’s a massive competitor he hates to lose.

“He goes for every ball, you see in every challenge how he’s ready to go. He works really hard and he’s a very intelligent player, I am really happy with him.”

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Lacazette struggled for much of the season, but given what a top-class player he is, it was only a matter of time before he returned to form.

Arteta has shown that he’s a manager who’s not afraid of freezing players out if they don’t match his high standards, so to hear him praise Lacazette so highly, suggesting his future is still at the Emirates, is a great sign.