Henry backs Lacazette for Arsenal success

Thierry Henry believes Alexandre Lacazette will succeed at Arsenal, but manager Arsene Wenger will need a full squad the for collective to similarly achieve.

Lacazette joined Arsenal from Olympique Lyon for a club-record fee in the off-season, and considering his start in Sunday’s Community Shield victory over Chelsea, is set to be Wenger’s first choice up front.

Henry, Arsenal’s all-time top goal scorer with 228 goals, believes both Lacazette and Olivier Giroud will offer versatility for the current squad’s benefit.

“(Lacazette) has a different game to Giroud, which I think is good because you need different types of strikers,” Henry said on Sky Sports.

“He did it in the French league and people might say it’s a different league, but, with due respect to Lyon, he’ll also be with better players. I’m backing him to have a good season.

“Sometimes you’ll need Giroud or even (Alexis) Sanchez in the middle and sometimes you’ll need (Danny) Welbeck or (Theo) Walcott, whoever will have an impact.”

The 26-year-old French striker has drawn comparisons to Henry, but what is for certain, he is adept as both finisher and facilitator.

Sorely missed in Lyon’s Europa League semi-final defeat to Ajax Amsterdam, Lacazette provided goals as well as assists, contributing to 39 total goals in both Ligue 1 and European competition last season.

Henry is confident he will have an impact.

“I’m a big fan of him,” Henry said. “I saw him playing for a long time in the French league and in the youth team.

“He was always a talent that everyone was for him to grow into, and to be fair he did, he’s been scoring goals every season.”

Arsenal opens their league campaign on Saturday, when they host Leicester.