Arsene Wenger has said that he can see Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang playing together in the same starting XI for Arsenal.
The two players joined Arsenal this season, Lacazette in the summer from Lyon for £52 million and Aubameyang in the winter from Borussia Dortmund for £55 million, yet the two players are yet to start in the same starting XI since Wenger brought in the former Bundesliga striker.
Lacazette returned to the Arsenal squad today after missing six-weeks of football due to injury, and his introduction in the 61st minute for Danny Welbeck made an instant impact on the pitch for the Gunners as the Frenchman created the corner that Aubameyang scored from, as well as winning and scoring a penalty one minute from time in a 3-0 win.
“The two get one well together”
Speaking to the press after the game, Wenger, who had semi-recovered from his sore throat, said: “I think they (Lacazette and Aubameyang) can play together. You can see the two get one well together when Pierre let Lacazette take the penalty in the 90th minute even though he was on a hattrick. It shows the state of our society when people are surprised when players are generous, even more with strikers. They have a good understanding.
“Aubameyang has played the majority of his career out on the left. He was a left winger with Saint-Etienne, and in the first two years at Dortmund he played out on the left until they sold Robert Lewandowski and he moved centrally.”
A flurry of late goals
Despite a dire first half that saw the Gunners play on the back foot against a Stoke side desperately looking for points in the race for survival, Arsenal were able to salvage a win in the final 15 minutes of the game.
Mesut Ozil won a penalty after dubiously being fouled by Bruno Martins Indi inside the penalty area, allowing Aubameyang to step up and covert the opening goal for the Gunners.
Aubameyang doubled his tally 85 minutes in when the striker expertly volleyed home from a corner, and Lacazette rounded off the win after winning and converting a penalty with a minute of normal time to go.