Tony Cascarino has said that Arsenal aren’t treating Alexandre Lacazette like a £50m striker.

This view comes after Lacazette was substituted after 66 minutes in the 0-0 draw against Chelsea on Sunday. The French international was replaced by Alexis Sanchez, something that Cascarino believes was a mistake and could damage the Frenchman’s confidence.

“Alexandre [Lacazette] is clearly a talented player but Arsène Wenger must be careful how he uses him,” he told The Times. “He came off after 66 minutes yesterday, replaced by Alexis Sanchez, having had little chance to impose himself. 

“He was also taken off against Bournemouth and Stoke and didn’t even come off the bench away to Liverpool. It’s very easy to have a negative impact on a striker’s confidence and the Frenchman might be at a stage where he’s going out after half-time thinking, ‘If I don’t score in the next ten minutes then I’ll be off’.

“I was substituted a lot in my career and it does affect your confidence. Lacazette cost more than £50 million and is meant to be a new star. So treat him like one. I’m not sure Thierry Henry would have been taken off with Arsenal 0-0 away to Chelsea.”

Lacazette did, in fact, come off the bench against Liverpool. He played a good half hour in that game. Wenger withdrew him on Sunday due to fitness concerns.

“I felt Lacazette had a very good first half. He worked very hard for the team, he’s very disciplined and it takes him some time to maintain that intensity for 90 minutes,” Wenger explained on Arsenal.com after the Chelsea game.

“Don’t forget as well I had Walcott, Giroud and Alexis on the bench, so after 65 minutes in a game of that intensity, it’s normal that you bring some fresh legs in,”

Before then, I believe Lacazette had a good game by defending well from the front and using the ball well whenever he had it. He should have scored as well. Cascarino’s comments seem to be making a mountain out of a molehill.

From what I saw, Arsenal clearly had a defensive approach on Sunday, and bringing on fresh legs late on made sense within the context of the game. Lacazette played 75 minutes against Bournemouth was taken off for Olivier Giroud after scoring and delivering a good performance.

The game was won well before then. The 26-year-old is new to English football and is adapting to the rigours of the Premier League. Taking care of him, while also giving minutes to Giroud as well, seems sensible at this early stage, in my opinion.