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Alexandre Lacazette has revealed he turned down the chance to join Paris Saint-Germain this summer, favouring a move to Arsenal and the Premier League instead.
The 26-year-old held talks with PSG over a potential move to the Parc des Princes in a transfer that could have seen him line up alongside Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
But the Frenchman opted for a move to the Emirates, signing for Arsenal in a club record £46.5m deal.
Show all 22 1 /22Arsenal vs Brighton player ratings Arsenal vs Brighton player ratings Petr Cech – 6 out of 10 Given very little to do, although he unusually flapped at a corner when deciding to come off his line. Given a few scares late on as Brighton threw caution to the wind.
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Arsenal vs Brighton player ratings Rob Holding – 6 out of 10 Looked a little nervous early on but settled down as Mustafi and Bellerin looked to make his day easier. 90 minute outing will have done his confidence the world of good after recent struggles.
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Arsenal vs Brighton player ratings Shkodran Mustafi – 7 out of 10 A very good performance at both ends of the pitch that was only blighted late on when he allowed Glenn Murray to steal in ahead of him and have a golden chance to score. Took on a mature role with Holding, which will have impressed Wenger.
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Arsenal vs Brighton player ratings Nacho Monreal – 8 out of 10 Scored his first goal since March 2013 as he reacted quickest to Xhaka’s free-kick that deflected off Mustafi, and showed a good awareness to pinch possession on occasion whenever Brighton looked to attack.
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Arsenal vs Brighton player ratings Hector Bellerin – 7 out of 10 A good showing from the Spaniard who relished the attacking platform that a defensive Brighton afforded him later on. Linked up well with Sanchez as he roamed across the pitch.
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Arsenal vs Brighton player ratings Aaron Ramsey – 6 out of 10 Looked frustrated as everything he tried just didn’t come off this afternoon. Moved to a deeper role alongside Xhaka, but his passing was on the heavy side and killed off chances while his best effort on goal was well saved by Ryan.
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Arsenal vs Brighton player ratings Granit Xhaka – 7 out of 10 Threatening free-kick produced Arsenal’s opener as it caused panic in the Brighton area. A mature display as he tackled well – not always a given with Xhaka – but guilty of wasting a good free-kick opportunity.
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Arsenal vs Brighton player ratings Sead Kolasinac – 7 out of 10 Unlucky not to have a goal as his header was cleared off the line from Sanchez’s corner. A real threat coming forward due to his size and skill, but caught out positionally by Propper and had to concede a free-kick from which Brighton nearly equalised.
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Arsenal vs Brighton player ratings Alex Iwobi – 8 out of 10 Back from a thigh injury with a goal to boot. The attacking midfielder enjoyed the central role he was afforded with two mazy runs in the first half, and he finally converted a chance when Sanchez laid one to him on a plate.
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Arsenal vs Brighton player ratings Alexis Sanchez – 8 out of 10 The beating heart of this Arsenal side was at his most lively as he tormented the Brighton back four. He was aware enough to backheel the ball into Iwobi’s path to score the second and could easily have scored in the opening half had he been able to put the ball either side of goalkeeper Ryan.
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Arsenal vs Brighton player ratings Alexandre Lacazette – 7 out of 10 The only thing that prevents him from an eight is the number of chances he failed to take. Lively start saw the striker crack a powerful long-range half-volley against the post, but his next two opportunities were blocked and when he finally got a chance away, it was a tame finish that Ryan easily saved.
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Arsenal vs Brighton player ratings <b>Brighton:</b> Matthew Ryan – 7 out of 10 That Arsenal were limited to just two goals was largely thanks to their Australian goalkeeper, who pulled off two good saves from Ramsey and Lacazette, not to mention a number of regulation efforts to deny Sanchez and Iwobi too.
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Arsenal vs Brighton player ratings Bruno – 6 out of 10 Given the run-around by Sanchez but he is not the first and will certainly not be the last.
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Arsenal vs Brighton player ratings Shane Duffy – 6 out of 10 Booked for a foul on Sanchez that he could do little about as the Arsenal maestro spun away from him and would’ve been through on goal had he not taken him out. Made a crucial block to deny Lacazette in the second half.
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Arsenal vs Brighton player ratings Lewis Dunk – 7 out of 10 Important block early on, but couldn’t score the rebound from March’s post-bound effort. Allowed Sanchez too much space in the build-up to Iwobi’s goal, but got back to prevent Lacazette from getting a shot away soon after and deflected Sanchez’s goal-bound effort just past the post.
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Arsenal vs Brighton player ratings Gaetan Bong – 6 out of 10 Tormented by Sanchez and Bellerin as he failed to cope with their pace and link-up play, which also meant he had to sit back and defend and rarely ventured into the Arsenal half.
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Arsenal vs Brighton player ratings Solly March – 7 out of 10 Fierce effort from cleverly worked free-kick had Cech beaten, but cannoned off the inside of the post. Looked like Brighton’s most lively player, but replaced 20 minutes from time as Chris Hughton appeared to try and save his energy levels.
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Arsenal vs Brighton player ratings Dale Stephens – 5 out of 10 Struggled to cope in the midfield as Arsenal’s options left him overran, and in the end he proved largely anonymous.
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Arsenal vs Brighton player ratings Davy Propper – 6 out of 10 Drew a foul from Kolasinac in a dangerous position that worked the chance for March, but otherwise he was starved of possession. A bright start soon quickly faded.
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Arsenal vs Brighton player ratings Jose Izquierdo – 6 out of 10 Conceded the free-kick that led to Arsenal’s opener by fouling Lacazette, and after being built up so much, he failed to deliver. Replaced with 20 minutes to go by Anthony Knockaert.
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Arsenal vs Brighton player ratings Pascal Gross – 6 out of 10 Booked for protesting Arsenal’s opener and nearly gifted them a second with his poor pass back to Dunk that let in Lacazette.
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Arsenal vs Brighton player ratings Izzy Brown – 6 out of 10 A relatively quiet game, which is no surprise given the level of defending Brighton had to do, but Glenn Murray’s impact could put his starting place under pressure.
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Despite passing on the opportunity to play Champions League football with PSG, Lacazette insists he has no regrets in snubbing the French giants.
“We talked to PSG but I knew it was not where I wanted to go. In France, I would only play for Lyon,” Lacazette told RMC Sport.
“PSG could have helped me progress because of the big players they have but I wanted to play in another league.”
Lacazette has hit the ground running in north London, netting four goals in his first seven league appearances for Arsenal.
Although his side currently sit six points off the pace in the title race, the Frenchman has still backed the Gunners to compete with their top-six rivals.
“I believe in the title, whether in the Premier League or in the Europa League,” he added.
“We have a big group, everyone gets along, it's not always the best that wins.”
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