Alexandre Lacazette is the “ice cold” assassin who can turn Arsenal into champions, writes John Cross in Shanghai.

Arsenal have been searching for a finisher to get the goals which the likes of Ian Wright, Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry used to score in the club’s glory days.

But Gunners midfielder Francis Coquelin insists his best pal Lacazette can make all the difference for Arsenal this season and take them back to the top.

Coquelin first met Lacazette when he and the likes of Antoine Griezmann were playing for France’s under-17s and says that even then his new Arsenal team mate was a natural born finisher.

Coquelin played with Lacazette as a teenager (
Image:
David Price)

Lacazette, now 26, is Arsenal’s £52m record signing and will therefore be under pressure to prove his worth against tougher defenders in the physical test of the Premier League.

But Coquelin said: “That is always the question when you come to the Premier League. That is the test. There is always a little question mark but I’m not scared. When you are a goalscorer, you are a goalscorer.

“Even at 17, he was always the same. In front of goal he’s always ice cold, he always scores a lot of goals.

“When we played with the national team, he finished top scorer when we played the under-20s World Cup. His record for Lyon is incredible. He’s scored so many goals over there.

Lacazette was prolific during his time at Lyon (
Image:
AFP/Getty)

“He scored 140 goals for the club so he’s shown that in front of goal he doesn’t mess around and that’s what we need.

“He scored 37 goals last season in 45 games, so I don’t know why he cannot score for Arsenal. It is just whether he is going to put them away and I’m sure he will.

“He will probably get even more chances than he did at Lyon and it is down to him to score them but I’m pretty sure he has come here with his confidence high.

“In front of goal, he’s someone who likes to score goals. He doesn’t need many chances to put them away. I hope we will see that this season.

Lacazette netted on his Gunners debut against Sydney (
Image:
Mark Metcalfe)

“The one that stands out is the final of the under-19s, he scored the winner and we won the Euros. I don’t think he started that game, I think he came on. The Euros was our first big trophy, it was massive.

“It was a very talented group, there were a lot of players. We had Antoine Griezmann, we had Gael Kakuta who didn’t have the carry we expected but was still a massive talent. It was pretty much all good players in this team.

“So I’ve known him for a long time. He’s a goalscorer. He even showed it in our first game in pre-season. He only played 25 minutes, he needed only one chance to put it in. That’s what we need and hopefully he can do that on many more occasions to come.”

Lacazette has impressed on Arsenal’s pre-season tour, scoring in his first game in Sydney and Coquelin says he has settled in well off the pitch as well.

Coquelin was speaking during Arsenal's pre-season tour (
Image:
Arsenal FC)

But Coquelin was reluctant to make comparisons like with Arsenal legend like Ian Wright because he will make a name for himself.

Coquelin said: “It is difficult to compare him to others. I don’t really like comparisons. Everyone gets compared to everyone.

“He is 26 now and I think he is done with comparisons. He has showed that he is Alex Lacazette and he can score goals. He can make a name for himself.

“With the way he plays, people have said Ian Wright – if people think that, okay. But he has his own style and hopefully he can show that this season.

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“He’s quite shy. He doesn’t express a lot but as long as he is expressing himself on the pitch that is what we want.

“He’s been doing it since I’ve known him, he has always been performing up front and scoring goals and is a nice lad as well. He can talk a bit of English and it’s good for him to settle in.”

Coquelin also believes that Arsenal will be lifted by their FA Cup win and that can make a big difference for confidence in this season’s title race.

Coquelin added: “We had a tough season last season but it was good to finish on a high, the FA Cup was massive for everyone.

“For the team, the fans, for the club as well. It’s good to start the new season fresh, we finished on a high and we’re now really focused on the games coming up.”

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