The Frenchman had scored just eight Premier League goals in the first half of the season and one in 12 in all competitions in the weeks before Aubameyang's arrival from Borussia Dortmund
It looked like the Gabonese hitman was a direct replacement for a player who had cost a then-club record £46
5m from Lyon only seven months earlier. Lacazette's situation wasn't helped by injuring a knee soon after Aubameyang's arrival and being out for more than a month
And, with Aubameyang scoring three goals in six games, his future looked ever more bleak
But Lacazette returned with a goal against Stoke in April — Aubameyang scored the other two in a 3-0 win — and two more in a 4-1 Europa League win over CSKA Moscow
And, with the pair forming a promising partnership, Lacazette finished the season with a respectable 17 goals
Now he is hoping new boss Unai Emery will keep faith in the partnership which, alongside Henrikh Mkhitaryan, sets up a tasty front three
Lacazette said: "I never said Aubameyang's arrival was bad for me. I was happy because I knew I could play with him
"I didn't see him as a rival so I was happy about his signature. "When I didn't score of course I was frustrated
But last season has finished. I've learned from this and now I am happy to start a new season
"Now I know all my team-mates, I know the club, I know how English football is
Now I'm more ready. "Power is the main difference, it's more powerful in England
Referees are less strict than in France and defenders in general are stronger than in France
" In January, Wenger said those powerful defenders and the fact there was no winter break made life hard for Lacazette in his first seasons
Lacazette added: "Arsene talked to me a lot, I trained more. I don't care how people judge me
I know if I stay the club is happy and my team-mates as well."

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