Football
PA Sport 6y

Alexandre Lacazette: Top-four finish was Arsenal's aim, not winning title

Alexandre Lacazette says Arsenal need a "miracle" if they are to win the Premier League this season, but added a return to the Champions League was always the club's main aim this term.

Arsenal have taken just one point from their last two league games and make the short journey to West Ham on Wednesday night sitting 17 points adrift of leaders Manchester City.

Arsene Wenger's side also have Manchester United, Chelsea, Burnley and Liverpool ahead of them in the table as they look set to miss out on another title they have not lifted since 2004.

"It would be really complicated to win it at this point,'' he said. "We would really need a miracle. City would need to lose a lot of their games and we know their record. But the goal in coming here was always to qualify for the Champions League and if we could get the title, fantastic.''

Lacazette is the latest in a long line of French footballers to play under compatriot Arsene Wenger at Arsenal after joining from Lyon in the summer for a reported £46.5 million.

He says the lure of working with Wenger was a major part of him joining Arsenal, but added he does not want to follow in the footsteps of the club's record goal scorer, Thierry Henry.

"It was really the meeting with the coach that made me want to come here. It was something I had thought about since I was little,'' he said. "I had spoken about it a lot for many years with [Arsenal midfielder] Francis Coquelin but it was really all about that meeting with the coach.

"I benefit from his experience on a daily basis, especially his past and how he has worked with various strikers. We are always chatting about small things I can do to make little improvements. It will be a really nice record for him too.''

Asked if Henry's success at the club acted as inspiration, Lacazette added: "I guess. In terms of inspiration I do admire him but I wouldn't want to copy him. Everyone has their own career, their own fate and everyone writes their own story.''

Lacazette may be rested for the trip to the London Stadium with fellow France international Olivier Giroud in line for his first league start of the campaign.

After moving from Ligue 1, Lacazette has eight goals for Arsenal despite having completed 90 minutes on just two occasions.

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