Alexandre Lacazette: Europa League win can secure Arsene Wenger's Arsenal future

Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette believes victory in the Europa League can be enough to save Arsene Wenger’s job for another year.

Though the Gunners have come out of their nadir of earlier in 2018 and are unbeaten in seven games the success of their season depends on the Europa League, where they have been handed the toughest of semi-final draws in the form of Atletico Madrid after their 6-3 aggregate win over CSKA Moscow.

Should Arsenal win the Europa League Wenger could justifiably argue he had achieved his minimum expectations for the season: qualifying for the Champions League and winning silverware.

However if the Gunners were to fail then Wenger’s future would come under greater scrutiny as he heads into the final year of his contract, with a possible sixth place and no trophies representing another disappointing campaign after the bitter woes of last season.

​Lacazette is acutely aware of the importance the Europa League holds for the Gunners.

“It can be the way to keep the manager because he did so much good for the club,” he said before the draw had been made. “It will save our season because in the Premier League we are not doing well.”

The final of the competition matters particularly to Lacazette, for whom it would represent a return to his former home at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais.

Lyon native Lacazette scored over 100 goals for his hometown club before departing for Arsenal in a £53million switch in the summer and he hopes to make a glorious return to France next month.

"I really want to be in the final to play in front of my family and friends but it’s not only that - I came to Arsenal because I want to win trophies,” Lacazette added.