Arsenal must play more direct if they are to get the best out of Alexandre Lacazette, insists Thierry Henry

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Thierry Henry has warned Arsenal they must play less 'pretty' football to allow their club record signing Alexandre Lacazette to thrive in north London. 

Lacazette got off to a flying start in his Premier League debut against Leicester on Friday, scoring after just two minutes with a glancing header. 

But the £53million signing from Lyon was isolated at times during the match and Arsenal eventually turned to Olivier Giroud who came off the bench to net a late winner in a 4-3 victory.

Alexandre Lacazette scored Arsenal's opener in a 4-3 win over Leicester on Friday night

And Henry believes players like Granit Xhaka should seek to go more direct now they have a proven goalscorer in Lacazette to lead the line. 

'Xhaka has it in his locker to play that ball over the top,' Henry told Sky Sports via Goal. 'He has an amazing left foot. If he has time on the ball he does not need to play through the middle sometimes.

'Why do you want to play what I call "the Arsenal ball" to the winger who comes in the pocket? Why don't you play the other ball.

'That's the best ball in the game because you go straight to goal. They don't like it.

Thierry Henry urged his former club to stop playing 'the Arsenal ball' to their wingers

'Does he lose the ball? No, he doesn't lose the ball. Does it look pretty? Yes, it looks pretty. But we want to go to goal.

'That's where we want to go. Can he play that pass? It is not difficult for Xhaka. They are going to have to learn with Lacazette.' 

Arsenal talisman Alexis Sanchez was sidelined for their opening match of the Premier League season with an abdominal strain. 

The Chilean has just one season remaining on his current contract at the Emirates and attempted to engineer a move to Manchester City earlier this summer.

Alexis Sanchez seems ready to leave Arsenal but Arsene Wenger has stood firm

But Henry believes that if Sanchez stays, he and Lacazette could form a formidable partnership up front for his former side.   

'When the big man [Sanchez] comes back and hopefully he is going to come back soon, Alexis Sanchez, he is going to play on the left.

'I think Lacazette is going to play in the centre. That is where I would like to see him play. Giroud can offer a lot and he showed that [against Leicester] but I would love to see the partnership that Sanchez and Lacazette can create.'