What must Alexandre Lacazette be thinking right now?The French forward was signed by Arsenal for a club-record £52.7 million fee last summer and was handed the No. 9 shirt.He was the Gunners’ first-choice striker - and supporters were delighted to have finally secured the services of a prolific 26-year-old who netted 37 goals in 45 matches for Lyon last season.Lacazette could hardly have made a better start to his Arsenal career, scoring after just 94 seconds on his Premier League debut against Leicester City.But it’s fair to say that he hasn’t scored as many goals as Arsenal fans would have predicted at the start of the campaign.In 28 appearances in all competitions, Lacazette has managed to score a disappointing nine goals - just under a goal every three games.

Where has Aubameyang's arrival left Lacazette?

Arsene Wenger reacted to Lacazette’s underwhelming start to the season by splashing out another club-record fee in January, this time on Borussia Dortmund’s electric centre-forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Many football fans were left asking themselves the same question following the Gabon international’s move to the Emirates Stadium: can Lacazette and Aubameyang really play in the same starting line-up together?

It doesn’t seem as if Wenger himself believes so.

Lacazette was an unused substitute in Arsenal’s 5-1 win over Everton last weekend and was again named among the subs for the club’s Premier League clash against bitter local rivals Tottenham this afternoon.

With Arsenal in need of a goal midway through the second half, Wenger sent on Lacazette in place of the disappointing Henrikh Mkhitaryan but the Frenchman missed a couple of great opportunities to equalise at the death.

Some people believe that Wenger has destroyed Lacazette’s confidence and you can certainly understand that point of view.

Rio Ferdinand makes a fair point about Lacazette

However, Rio Ferdinand believes it’s down to Lacazette to show more fight and force his way back into Arsenal’s line-up, regardless of Aubameyang’s presence.

The former Manchester United star said after the match: “It’s down to Lacazette to say ‘I’m here to fight - I think you’ve got to play me and Aubameyang or I’m going to be in there somehow, I don’t care about Aubameyang, I’m going to be here because I’m worth my weight in gold.’

“He’s score goals in France, he is a good finisher, but I don’t care who you are, what level you’re at, confidence comes out of your game and you ain’t the same player.”

Watch Rio have his say on Lacazette here...

Ferdinand is speaking from his own experience

It’s hard to disagree with Ferdinand, who knows from his own experience that you have to rise to the challenge when new players competing for your position enter the dressing room.

Chris Smalling and Phil Jones both joined Man Utd in 2010 and 2011 respectively but Ferdinand showed Sir Alex Ferguson why he was still the main centre-back at Old Trafford alongside Nemanja Vidic with his impressive performances on the pitch and in training.

Can Lacazette do something similar at Arsenal? Only time will tell.