Mikel Arteta has detailed how he addressed Alexandre Lacazette while the striker was in the midst of a two-month goal drought.
Failing to score in his first eight games under the new boss, the striker finally got onto the scoresheet when coming off the bench against Newcastle. Having assisted Mesut Ozil minutes earlier, he broke his duck with a finish into the near corner before Emirates Stadium erupted with joy.
He followed this up with a calm finish in the dying embers of the first leg at Olympiacos, putting Arsenal in the driver's seat ahead of the second leg tonight (February 27).
Ahead of the game, Arteta spoke about how he talked Lacazette through his rough patch and ensured that he would come good in front of goal once more.
"I just tried to convince him how good he is, all the positive things he was doing for the team and how they were effective in a really good way for the team," the Spaniard said.
"Yes, it’s great that he can put the ball in the net but there’s a lot of aspects of the game that you’re doing really well. Keep those aspects and the rest will come because you have incredible ability to finish. And his attitude has been so good.
"He has been a little bit down because the pressure increases as the days go by, but then he scores two in two and hopefully there are many more to come.
Whilst Lacazette was going through his goal drought, the main thing keeping him in the side was what he offered outside the box. Rather than just being a goalscorer, he could link play, hold the ball up and press the opposition well.
End the end this wasn't enough, however, as he was dropped. Now that he is back scoring, Arteta also feels the reaction of Lacazette's teammates had a vital role in his resurgence.
"I think so. The most powerful thing for him was the reaction of his teammates. When you really feel that they are all behind you and really care about you, they show that reaction he was like ‘wow’" the 37-year-old added.
