MX23RW : Friday, November 8 10:11:51| >> :60:3371:3371:

Alexandre Lacazette "really happy" at Arsenal despite links away

The French forward has been linked with a move to Atletico Madrid.

Alexandre Lacazette insisted he is "really happy" at Arsenal after helping the Gunners kick off the new Premier League season with a comfortable 3-0 win over Fulham.

Summer signings Willian and Gabriel both starred on their Arsenal debuts at Craven Cottage, the former Chelsea playmaker finishing with three assists while the ex-Lille defender headed home his side's second.

Lacazette had opened the scoring in the eighth minute when he capitalised on a loose ball, with strike partner Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang adding Arsenal's third before the hour mark.

Lacazette has been linked with a move to Atletico Madrid but the French forward dismissed any suggestions he is unhappy at the Emirates Stadium.

"I am really happy," he told the club website after the game.

"It's only the press that says I'm not happy. From the beginning I've said I am happy at Arsenal and I want to play and win titles.

Arsenal won the FA Cup last season
Arsenal won the FA Cup last season (Adam Davy/PA)

"We won a title last month so I am happy with Arsenal."

On the performance itself, Lacazette added: "Yes, it was the best way to start the season. We wanted to win today and get the clean sheet.

"Defensively I think we did some good stuff and respected what the coach wanted. At the end, we won so everyone is happy today."

Fulham manager Scott Parker is confident his promoted side will continue to improve following the defeat, but admits they can ill afford to concede three goals every game.

He said: "I really liked us first half, but second half not so much. The second goal is really weak on our behalf – a set-play goal and a real weakness in terms of they load a lot of players underneath the bar and we just didn't see much fight there at that moment.

"It was a poor goal to concede. In this division, if we're expected to score three goals to win or get draws out of games, it's going to be pretty tough for us, certainly against teams like Arsenal who have the quality they have.

Fulham boss Scott Parker saw his side well beaten on their return to the Premier League
Fulham boss Scott Parker saw his side well beaten on their return to the Premier League (Clive Rose/PA)

"I think you're right, there are some positives, but when you're on a 3-0 loss there's some negatives as well.

"We'll dust ourselves down, keep improving and keep understanding where we need to get better, and go from there."

ID:414169: cacheID:414169:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:7726:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta pictured on September 12, 2020
Read Next:
Mikel Arteta hails Arsenal debutants after opening-day win at Fulham
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
FT
Bengals
34-35
Ravens
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool108111961325
2Manchester CityMan City1072121111023
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest10541147719
4Chelsea105322012818
5Arsenal105321711618
6Aston Villa105321715218
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1051422111116
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton104421714316
9Fulham104331413115
10Bournemouth104331312115
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104331010015
12Brentford104151920-113
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd10334912-312
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham103251319-611
15Leicester CityLeicester102441418-410
16Everton102351017-79
17Crystal Palace10145813-57
18Ipswich TownIpswich100551021-115
19Southampton10118719-124
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves100371427-133


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!