Mikel Arteta believes Alexandre Lacazette is playing like he wants to stay at Arsenal after helping them pull off a last-minute win over Wolves.
Lacazette grabbed a winning assist in the 95th minute against Wolves after his shot was turned into his own net by Jose Sa.
It completed a brilliant comeback by Arsenal, who had been 1-0 down with eight minutes of normal time to go following Hwang Hee-chan’s opening goal in the first-half.
Nicolas Pepe hit back in the 82nd minute, though, and Lacazette ensured the Gunners completed the fightback in injury-time.
Lacazette was the hero, but he is out of contract in the summer and Arsenal will not hold talks with him over a new deal until the end of the season.
The Frenchman has been linked with a return to Lyon, but Arteta believes his performances against Wolves suggest he wants to stay.
“We don’t know what is going to happen at the end of the season,” he said.
“What he needs to do is put aside that future. It is part of our game, we don’t have contracts that run for 20 years.
“That’s part of our job and we have to be conscious of that. There’s nothing to tell him but to praise him, because every single day he behaves like someone that wants to stay with us.
“When I see our striker in the 85th minute, chasing a full-back in the corner flag, winning the ball back, playing, going, fighting, missing one chance, missing two chances, going again. What can I do? I can only praise him and try to help him as much as possible and give him support.
“At the end he got the reward. For me, it’s Lacazette’s goal.”
The win against Wolves was a big one for Arsenal as it moved them within a point of Manchester United in fourth, with two games in hand.
“It was a great one, winning at the end against a really good team that once they are ahead is extremely difficult to beat them,” Arteta added.
“I don’t think they lost a game after going ahead since 2018 but we kept pushing, the attitude, the spirit, the quality and the energy the players put in to win the match was phenomenal. It was great to win it that way.”
