For all the chatter about Olivier Giroud remaining on the Arsenal bench so far this season, the same attention has not been paid to Lucas Pérez.
The Spanish striker moved to North London for an eight-figure fee over the summer, but has yet to score a single Premier League goal.
When Lucas’ compatriot Roberto Soldado struggled to hit the ground running a few miles down the road at Tottenham in 2013, some suggested a big European performance could be the key to making an impact domestically.
Well, if that is the case then the former Deportivo La Coruña frontman has delivered the goods, firing home a hat-trick as the Gunners won in Basel to secure top spot in the Champions League’s Group A.
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Here's @LP10oficial completing his first Arsenal hat-trick
Video courtesy of @btsportfootball #BASvAFC https://t.co/GDGz2LGgqP
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) December 6, 2016
It didn’t take long for the 28-year-old to open his account for the night
Nice to see Lucas score
— Sid Lowe (@sidlowe) December 6, 2016
Even if it demonstrated that he isn’t exactly a household name just yet.
https://twitter.com/ghostbiggie/status/806226077236559872
And it didn’t take long for Arsenal fans to show that they always believed in the well-travelled striker.
https://twitter.com/_Zeets/status/806239366532239360
The stats men were out in force…
6 – Lucas Perez is the sixth @Arsenal player to score a hat-trick in the @ChampionsLeague (Henry, Bendtner, Welbeck, Giroud, Ozil). Club.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 6, 2016
First hat-trick for Arsenal's Lucas Perez in 4 years – his last one came for Karpaty Lviv in the Ukrainian top flight. Of course.
— Archie Rhind-Tutt (@archiert1) December 6, 2016
…as were the punners.
Lucas Perez grinding Basel into pesto
— Duncan Alexander (@oilysailor) December 6, 2016
And it wouldn’t be an Arsenal hat-trick without the inevitable comparisons.
https://twitter.com/JongsmaJongsma/status/806240171071078401
Indeed, attentions turned to another former Arsenal target, whose own decision to stay put paved the way for Lucas to jet over from Spain in August.
Lucas Perez has as many club goals today as Jamie Vardy has all season
— Coach Crimes (@tommy_crimes) December 6, 2016
https://twitter.com/_socoamaretto/status/806228949546188800
The treble takes Lucas’ tally for the season to six, though one of those came when he was still a Depor player – Vardy has three for Leicester and one for England so far this campaign.
Just don’t call him a fox in the box – that doesn’t have the best connotations for Arsenal fans.
Lucas Perez pic.twitter.com/wWSYHS9oPr
— Swiss Ramble (@SwissRamble) December 6, 2016
Catch up with this week’s episode of Football Friday Live
