03 April 2023 , 16:46
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Former Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette has claimed that he isn't surprised to see the Londoners at the summit of the Premier League this season after working with Gunners boss Mikel Arteta.
Lacazette, who left the Emirates Stadium last summer upon the expiration of his contract, spent five years in north London and was a key player under Arteta following the Spaniard's appointment back in December 2019.
The Gunners finished fifth in the top-flight last season following a late implosion which cost them a place in the Champions League but have bounced back impressively this term and are now just nine games away from ending an agonising 19-year title drought.
And while plenty of people have been taken aback by Arsenal's title charge, Lacazette - who is now back on the books at Lyon - has insisted that he always expected his former club to do well this season and made it clear that there were no hard feelings over his exit by sharing his delight at the progress that the club have made over the past few months.
"Arsenal? I’m not surprised," Lacazette replied when he was quizzed on the Gunners' title hopes. "I worked with the coach so I know how well he works. I’m not surprised by the club’s success, and I’m happy for my former teammates there."
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Lacazette never challenged for the Premier League crown at Arsenal after being snapped up by legendary boss Arsene Wenger, but the Frenchman did plunder 71 goals in 206 games to establish himself as a firm fan favourite at the Emirates.
Following Lacazette's exit, Arteta bolstered his attacking options by acquiring Gabriel Jesus in a £45million deal in the summer, and the former Manchester City striker was influential in Saturday's 4-1 win over Leeds, netting twice.
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Former Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette has insisted he isn't surprised to see his old club challenging for the Premier League title (RMC Sports)Jesus has spent the last few months on the sidelines after undergoing knee surgery for an issue he sustained with the Brazil national team during the World Cup - and Arteta was full of praise for his No.9 after he got his name back on the scoresheet.
Speaking after Saturday's game, Arteta said: "After an international break you do not know if they are in the frame of mind to come back and do the things necessary to win this league. I am really happy with the performance.
"They [Leeds] made it tricky for us. We lost the ball in bad areas to a team that put four really fast players than run in transitions. After we took control of the game and were really good in the boxes today.
"I am so happy for him [Gabriel Jesus] after all the work from him and the staff throughout the last five months. Today, he got rewarded for that."