Alexandre Lacazette insists he never believe Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joining the club would be a bad thing for him, as he always thought they could play together.

When Aubameyang’s move to Arsenal was first rumoured in January, many took it as a blow to Lacazette’s chances of making it at the club. Arsene Wenger played a system with just one striker, so much so that Olivier Giroud had to leave the club in search of a Premier League starting spot.

The player himself says he never felt the same way though, and he was happy about the transfer from day one.

“I never said Aubameyang’s arrival was bad for me, only people in the press said it was bad,” Lacazette said. “I was happy because I knew I could play with him. I didn’t see him as a rival more than a team-mate, so since the beginning I was happy about his signature.

“Of course, it’s good that we have a good relationship off the pitch. If people are good off the pitch, on the pitch it will be easier to play.”

The Frenchman is now preparing for his second season at the club, and he’s level on goals with Aubameyang throughout pre-season so far. That and the fact he’s had a season to adapt is seemingly giving Lacazette a lot of confidence for the coming campaign.

“Now I know all of my team-mates, I know the club, I know how English football is, it’s totally different, but now I’m more ready,” the 27-year-old added. “Power is the main difference, it’s more powerful in England.

“Referees are less strict than in France, teams like to play low and in counter-attack and defenders in general are stronger than in France.”

Man-of-the-match vs PSG

Lacazette is certainly silencing his critics in pre-season, with his most recent performance against PSG earning him the man-of-the-match award, as Arsenal won 5-1. The striker appeared to score two goals, although both had an element of doubt around who got the final touch. Nonetheless, neither would’ve gone in without his contribution.

Next week Lacazette has two more chances to nail down his spot in the starting eleven, as the Gunners face Chelsea and Lazio. After that, Manchester City await on August 12th.