Arsenal must adapt their playing style and make use of Granit Xhaka if they are to get the most out of record signing Alexandre Lacazette, according to their record scorer Thierry Henry.
Lacazette opened his account on debut in Friday’s 4-3 win over Leicester, the first of what Arsene Wenger hopes will be many goals after agreeing to pay up to £52.7million to bring the 26-year-old from Lyon this summer.
Henry though believes Arsenal’s current style of play is not well-suited to Lacazette and urged his former manager Wenger to adapt to a more direct approach that relies heavily on Xhaka, the deep-lying playmaker who joined from Borussia Monchengladbach last summer.
“Granit Xhaka has it in his locker to play that ball over the top,” Henry told Sky Sports.
“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.
“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.”
Lacazette started Friday’s comeback win, where Arsenal had to overturn 2-1 and 3-2 deficits, as the central striker ahead of Danny Welbeck and Mesut Ozil but ended the game roaming from the left flank.
Wenger was forced to throw a host of attackers on in a desperate bid to save the game, with Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud ultimately firing Arsenal to three points, but Henry believes Lacazette should remain at the tip of the Gunners’ frontline.
“Because he is so sound and good on the ball, he can play on the left or on the right, but for me he is a No.9,” Henry added.
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“When the big man 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.”