Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette has offered his apology to the Gunners’ faithful after he was needlessly sent off against BATE Borisov during the away leg of the Europa League round of 32 tie. The north London club were expected to dominate the proceedings against BATE despite being on the road but they experienced a tough night where they eventually succumbed to a shock 1-0 loss.
To make things worse, Lacazette was issued a straight-red card after elbowing Aleksandar Filipovic in the 85th minute and he could now serve a three-match ban for violent conduct. Following the game, the Frenchman issued a generous apology to the supporters while urging his teammates to help the Gunners progress beyond the round of 32 stage.
Letting the team down like that is the worst feeling..
— Alexandre Lacazette (@LacazetteAlex) February 14, 2019
I should have stayed calm but it’s not always easy.. Sorry ?
There are still 90 minutes to play and I believe that my teammates will make it to the next round.. #COYG #Laca
Unai Emery’s side held nearly 80 percent of possession during the course of the game but there was a genuine lack of cutting edge upfront where they managed just two attempts on target throughout the 90 minutes. Nonetheless, they have the opportunity to turn the tie around in six days’ time, although they need to produce a better performance on both ends of the field.
Arsenal can qualify to the round of 16 stage with a routine 2-0 triumph but things could get tougher for them, should BATE score an away goal. Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see whether the likes of Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil are brought into the fray for the second leg after missing out on the matchday squad for the Borisov trip.
