Alexandre Lacazette did not find the net on his first appearance at Wembley, but Arsenal's Community Shield victory over Chelsea on Sunday offered encouraging signs of what the France international may bring to north London this season.
Starting in attack alongside Danny Welbeck and Alex Iwobi, Lacazette saw a curling effort come back off the woodwork before being replaced by Olivier Giroud in the 66th minute — departing, according to Arsenal's official club report, to a warm reception from supporters inside the stadium.
Theo Walcott, who came on as a substitute, was generous in his assessment of the new signing's contribution. "Hitting the post shows his quality," Walcott told Arsenal's official channels. "When you give him time and space on the ball, he's got quality and he showed that." He added that Lacazette is "a goalscorer" who "is going to score goals for this club", pointing to the depth of creative options available to supply both him and Giroud across the coming campaign.
The performance offered a glimpse of how Arsenal's attacking structure might function under the current formation, though Walcott acknowledged that adjustments are still bedding in. "You've got to be patient sometimes with this formation," he said, "as we're still learning to play a different style of football." He was nonetheless encouraged by the defensive discipline shown against Chelsea, with Arsenal successfully limiting the champions' ability to play through their full-backs — something he credited to specific work on the training ground.
Attention now turns to Friday evening and a Premier League opener at home to Leicester City. Walcott spoke with evident eagerness about returning to league football, and suggested the atmosphere of a night fixture at the Emirates could suit Arsenal well. "Home support is always crucial," he said, "and that will be so key this season." Whether Lacazette starts that fixture and whether he improves on Sunday's near-miss remains to be seen, but the early indications from within the squad are ones of confidence rather than concern.